THE  GIFT  OF 

FLORENCE  V.  V.  DICKEY 

TO  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


THE  DONALD  R.  DICKEY 

LIBRARY 
OF  VERTEBRATE  ZOOLOGY 


THE  MAMMALS 


PENNSYLVANIA  AND  NEW  JERSEY 


A  BIOGRAPHIC,  HISTORIC  AND  DESCRIPTIVE  ACCOUNT 


FURRED  ANIMALS  OF  LAND  AND  SEA,  BOTH  LIVING  AND  EXTINCT,  KNOWN 
TO  HAVE  EXISTED  IN  THESE  STATES. 


DESIGNED  AS  BOTH  A  POPULAR  AND  SCIENTIFIC  PRESENTATION  OF  A  BRANCH 
OF  NATURE-STUDY  HITHERTO  UNDULY  NEGLECTED. 


BY 

SAMUEL  N.  RHOADS. 


Who  teacheth  us  more  than  the  beasts  of  the  earth  f  " — JOB  xxxv,  11. 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH    PLATES  AND  A    FAUNAL    MAP. 


PHILADELPHIA. 

PRIVATELY    PUBLISHED 
1903 


COPYRIGHTED,  1903, 

BY 
SAMUEL  N.  RHOADS. 


THE  WICKERSHAM  PRINTING  Co., 
LANCASTER,  PA. 


<U 
1J9 


MAMMALS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA  AND  NEW  JERSEY. 


BY  SAMUEL  N.  RHOADS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

JOB,  the  ancient  divine  and  naturalist,  asks,  "  Who  teacheth  us  more  than 
the  beasts  of  the  earth  or  maketh  us  wiser  than  the  fowls  of  heaven?"  Owing 
to  the  difficulty  of  making  acquaintance  with  those  "  beasts  of  the  earth " 
which  we  call  Mammals,  because  of  their  nocturnal,  subterranean  or  aquatic 
habits,  the  study  of  mammalogy  has  never  been  as  popular  as  that  of  the 
"  fowls  of  heaven."  It  is,  however,  no  less  an  interesting  and  profitable 
study  and  even  yet  furnishes  the  investigator,  in  spite  of  the  great  activity 
of  the  past  decade  in  that  branch,  a  far  richer  field  for  original  zoological 
study  than  does  ornithology.  To  man,  himself  a  mammal,  the  importance  of 
this  study,  especially  as  regards  his  physical,  mental  and  spiritual  relation- 
ships to  the  beasts  of  the  earth,  cannot,  perhaps,  be  overestimated. 

One  of  the  most  noticeable  developments  in  biological  research  at  the 
piesent  day  is  along  the  line  of  geographic  distribution.  It  has  resulted  in 
the  solution  of  many  vexed  problems  which  the  last  century  biologist  vainly 
pondered.  In  the  prosecution  of  this  line  of  research  much  is  discovered  of 
an  incidental  character  relating  to  the  life-history  of  created  things  which 
has  hitherto  been  hidden  away.  These  are  some  of  the  facts  which  induced 
me,  eleven  years  ago,  to  begin  the  work  which  forms  the  subject  of  this 
paper.  In  these  studies  I  have  been  aided  to  a  limited  extent  by  the  all- 
too-meagre  and  often  misleading  faunal  publications  of  previous  authors. 
More  substantial  and  valuable  aid  has  been  received  by  means  of  voluminous 
correspondence  and  personal  interviews  with  naturalists,  trappers,  hunters, 
old  pioneers  and  frontiersmen  living  in  the  regions  named.  The  main 
source  of  information,  however,  has  been  personal  field  experience  in  nearly 
every  county  in  the  two  states.  The  collections  of  Pennsylvania  and  New 
Jersey  mammals,  resulting  from  this  work,  and  numbering  about  2,000  speci- 
mens, have  recently  been  acquired  by  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of 
Philadelphia.  For  the  use  of  the  unrivalled  literary  and  museum  facilities  of 
this  institution  and  the  continued  courtesy  of  its  officers  I  am  glad  to  have 
this  opportunity  to  express  my  thankfulness. 


550777 
B — 4888 


2  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

The  scope  of  the  work  now  completed,  may  be  thus  defined.  It  treats  of 
both  living  and  extinct,  recent  and  fossil,  land  and  sea  mammals  found  in 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  in  the  feral  state.  It  includes  not  only  those 
indigenous  or  native  to  the  region  but  also  those  which  have  been  intro- 
duced there  either  from  native  or  foreign  regions,  whether  by  man's  direct 
importation  or  by  voluntary  migration  due  to  faunal  and  floral  changes 
wrought  by  the  deforesting  and  settling  of  the  country  since  the  beginnings 
of  colonial  history.  After  giving  each  native  species  and  sub-species  its  most 
approved  popular  and  scientific  nomenclature  with  double  literary  references 
for  the  student,  the  "  Type  locality"  "  Faunal  distribution"  "Distribution  in 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey"  "  Records  "  in  the  two  states,  "  Habits  and 
economic  status"  "Historic  references"  "Description  of  species"  and 
enumeration  of  "Specimen  sexaminfd"  are  also  given  more  or  less  fully  as 
each  requires. 

The  fossil  species  are  more  briefly  considered  and  in  a  separate  division. 
Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  importance  of  the  study  of  faunal 
distribution.  A  map  of  the  two  states,  giving  the  limitations  of  the  Lower 
Canadian,  Transition  and  Upper  Austral  life-zones  represented  in  their  limits, 
has  been  prepared  and  the  distribution  of  each  species  given  in  the  text  is 
stated  in  terms  of  these.  The  results  of  my  observations  enable  me  to  define 
these  with  greater  exactness  than  was  heretofore  possible,  and  to  alter,  in 
some  degree,  the  complexion  of  the  zoogeographic  map  heretofore  used  as  a 
standard  by  students.  As  near  as  possible  this  is  made  to  conform  to  our 
knowledge  of  primeval  conditions,  a  standard  now  difficult  to  reproduce, 
owing  to  the  vital  biological  changes  which  have  resulted  solely  from  the 
deforestation  of  our  country.  Fire,  axe,  flood,  summer  sun  and  winter  frost 
have  made  the  famous  hunting  grounds  and  natural  game  preserves  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Alleghanies  a  wilderness  indeed.  Where  once  the  Canada 
Lynx,  Wolverene,  Fisher,  Marten,  Canada  Deer-Mouse,  Woodland  Jumping 
Mouse,  Northern  Hare,  and  Marsh  Shrew  found  a  congenial  home,  the 
average  mid-summer  temperature  may  now  be  roughly  said  to  have  risen  20 
degrees,  drought  and  flood  quickly  succeed  each  other,  winds  become  tem- 
pests and  winter  takes  on  an  Arctic  severity.  Instead  of  white  pines  and 
hemlocks  we  have  scrub  oaks  and  briars ;  instead  of  fern  beds,  sphagnum 
and  moist  shade  we  find  bare  rocks,  glaring  sun,  and  withered  vegetation. 
The  grinning  opossum  sneaks  up  the  south  slope  as  the  last  snowshoe  hare 
hops  down  the  northern  one,  and  the  lowland  cotton-tail  forthwith  jumps  her 
ancestral  claim.  While  the  rifle  and  the  trap  remained  their  greatest  enemies, 
the  beasts  of  the  earth  and  the  fowls  of  heaven  had  an  even  chance,  but  the 
era  of  axe  and  fire  and  commercialism  has  doomed  them,  unless  the  era  of 
forestry  soon  rescues  them  from  extinction. 

To  explain  more  fully  the  use  and  intent  of  the  accompanying  map  of  the 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY.  3 

faunae  or  life-zones  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  I  will  quote  G.  S.  Miller, 
Jr.'s,  lucid  remarks  thereon,  given  in  his  "Preliminary  List  of  the  Mammals 
of  New  York,"  "  The  importance  of  an  acquaintance  with  the  life-areas  of 
a  region,  as  a  key  to  the  geographic  distribution  of  the  animals  and  plants,  is 
hardly  to  be  over-estimated.  Such  knowledge  furnishes  ready  and  exact 
means  of  defining  the  ranges  of  species  without  the  tedious  enumeration 
of  isolated  localities,  and  offers  moreover  an  explanation  of  the  principal 
factor  governing  those  associations  of  species  that  constitute  local  faunae 
and  florae.  Briefly  defined,  a  life-zone  is  a  trans-continental  area  bounded 
by  certain  isothermal  (average  temperature)  lines,  and  characterized  by 
relative  uniformity  of  fauna  and  flora.  Together  with  the  isotherms  a  life- 
zone  normally  extends  in  an  approximately  east  and  west  direction,  but  both 
are  subject  to  endless  deviations.  Elevations  in  the  surface  of  the  earth 
cause  the  life-zones  to  bend  to  the  southward,  often  many  hundreds  of  miles 
beyond  their  sea  level  position.  Furthermore,  a  life-zone  is  not  necessarily 
continuous.  It  often  happens  that  isolated  hills  or  mountains  reach  a  suffi- 
cient height  to  have  about  their  summits  the  climatic  conditions  char- 
acteristic of  a  more  northerly  zone  than  at  their  bases.  Effects  similar  to 
those  of  elevation  are  produced  by  isolated  swamps  and  cold  rock  slides." 

Illustrative  of  these  remarks  we  find  on  looking  at  the  map  of  Pennsylvania 
that  the  higher  Alleghanian  chain  bearing  the  Canadian  fauna  on  its  crest, 
cuts  the  eastern  and  western  extension  of  the  transition  zone  in  half,  while 
the  valley  of  the  upper  eastern  branch  of  the  Susquehanna  brings  about  a 
.reversal  of  these  conditions  by  bisecting  the  Canadian  zone  with  an  offset  of 
the  Transition.  In  Fayette  and  Somerset  Counties  a  most  striking  alterna- 
tion of  Austral,  Canadian  and  Transition  zones  occurs  as  we  travel  along  the 
Maryland  line,  due  to  the  intrusive  parallel  range  of  the  Alleghany  ridge, 
Laurel  ridge,  and  Chestnut  ridge,  with  their  intervening  valleys.  In  the 
upper  Austral  zone  of  south  New  Jersey  the  "  boreal "  or  transition  islands  of 
cool,  dense -shaded  cedar  swamp  and  bog  are  a  striking  illustration  of  local 
conditions,  and  a  like  instance  is  the  typical  Canadian  fauna  of  certain 
tamarack  and  fir  swamps  set  in  the  midst  of  otherwise  doubtfully  Canadian 
regions  in  the  northern  part  of  both  states. 

In  North  America  seven  life  zones  are  represented.  These  are  (begin- 
ning at  the  north)  the  Arctic,  Hudsonian,  Canadian,  Transition,  Upper 
Austral,  Lower  Austral  and  Tropical.  The  temperatures  limiting  three  life 
areas  formed  in  our  limits  are  tabulated  as  follows,  by  Merriam  : — These  are 
based  on  the  two  laws  "(i)  The  northward  distribution  of  animals  and 
plants  is  determined  by  the  total  quantity  of  heat — the  sum  of  the  effective  tem- 
peratures. ( 2 )  The  southward  distribution  of  Boreal,  Transition  zone  and 
Upper  Austral  species  is  determined  by  the  mean  temperature  of  the  hottest 
part  of  the  year."  Southern  limit  of  the  Canadian  zone  is  defined  by  the  iso- 


4  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

therm  showing  a  normal  mean  temperature  of  six  hottest  consecutive  weeks 
of  64.4  degrees;  of  the  Transition  zone,  ditto,  71.6  degrees;  of  the  Upper 
Austral,  78.8  degrees.  The  northern  limits  of  the  Transition  and  Upper 
Austral  zones  are  defined  by  the  sum  of  normal,  mean  daily  temperatures 
for  the  year  above  43  degrees,  which  is  10,000  degrees  for  the  Transition 
and  11,500  for  the  Upper  Austral. 

In  the  case  of  rare  or  exterminated  species  a  series  of  records  of  their 
historic  or  more  recent  occurrence  in  the  various  parts  of  the  two  states  is 
given  by  counties.  These  have  been  condensed  and  summarized  from  an 
extended  correspondence  with  observers,  historians,  scientific  students,  trap- 
pers, furriers  and  sportsmen,  some  of  whom,  very  old  men,  have  since  died, 
and  their  valuable  knowledge  of  pioneer  conditions  in  our  limits  would 
have  largely  gone  with  them  had  it  not  been  thus  recorded. 

The  habits  and  economic  relations  of  most  of  the  species  are  touched 
upon ;  those  of  greater  interest,  because  so  little  known,  as  popularly  mis- 
judged or  now  exterminated,  are  more  fully  treated.  In  this  connection  it 
may  be  stated  that  there  is  only  one  species  of  native  mouse  in  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey,  namely,  the  mole  mouse,  underground  meadow  mouse, 
or  pine  vole,  M.  pine  to  rum,  whose  food  habits  may  be  said  to  be  so  noxious 
as  to  make  its  extermination  a  desideratum.  Moles,  shrews  and  common 
meadow  mice  are  greatly  misunderstood  even  by  those  who  profess  to  study 
them  from  an  economic  point  of  view.  The  status  of  the  rapacious  carnivora 
— skunks,  weasels,  minks,  coons,  bears,  wild  cats,  foxes,  etc. — which  still  form 
a  large  part  of  the  living  population  of  our  forests,  deserves  as  thorough 
study  as  has  been  recently  given  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture to  rapacious  birds.  From  the  researches  of  Dr.  Warren  in  Penn- 
sylvania along  this  line  we  may  predict  that  the  popular  verdict  on  these 
vagabonds  will  in  many  cases  be  found  faulty.  The  commercial  importance 
of  many  so-called  "injurious"  mammals,  which  yield  either  food  or  furs 
to  man,  is  far  greater  than  many  realize.  For  instance  the  trade,  and  conse- 
quent profits,  arising  from  the  trapping  of  muskrats  in  the  Delaware  Valley 
alone  amounts  to  many  thousands  of  dollars  annually,  and  offsets  a  hundred 
fold  their  destruction  of  dikes,  dams,  forage  crops  or  grain.  The  bodies 
of  these  muskrats  are  rarely  wasted,  being  so  prized  in  Cumberland  Co., 
New  Jersey,  as  to  have  a  standard  market  value  of  five  to  eight  cents  each. 

The  Cetacea,  or  Whales  and  Dolphins,  generally  ignored  in  mammal 
study  because  of  the  confusion  so  long  existing  as  to  their  character, 
identity  and  habits,  have  been  given  special  attention,  forming  as  they  do, 
such  a  numerous  representation  in  the  waters  of  New  Jersey.  No  less 
than  eighteen  species  of  these  leviathans,  ranging  in  length  from  5  to  80 
feet,  wander  to  or  now  exist  off  our  shores,  some  of  the  largest  entering 
tidewater  as  far  inland  as  Trenton.  Nine  additional  extinct  whales  roamed 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  5 

in  the  once  tropical  waters  which  covered  southern  New  Jersey  during  the 
Miocene  period.  Whaling  formed,  at  one  time,  an  industrial  feature  of  the 
New  Jersey  coasts,  but  has  long  been  abandoned. 

Species  now  extinct  in  our  limits,  which  formed  an  important  role  in  the 
domestic  economy  of  our  great-grandfathers  are  the  Bison,  Wapiti  or  Elk, 
Beaver,  Cougar  or  "  Panther  "  and  Wolf.  The  bison,  only  a  straggler  east  of 
the  Susquehanna,  and  never  abundant  in  Pennsylvania  in  the  white  man's 
memory,  was  last  killed  in  Union  Co.,  Pa.,  about  1800.  The  last  Pennsylva- 
nia Elk  or  Wapiti  was  killed  in  Elk  Co.,  in  1867  by  Cornplanter  Indians 
from  the  Cattaraugus  Reservation.  This  animal  was  formerly  abundant  over 
the  greater  part  of  the  state  in  the  higher  grounds,  and  was  used  as  food. 
Though  the  native  Beaver  has  been  practically  exterminated  in  our  limits 
since  1875  there  is  a  colony  of  wild  beavers  in  Monroe  Co.,  Pa.,  and  several 
others  in  Sussex  Co.,  N.  J.,  all  of  which,  there  seems  little  doubt,  are  de- 
scendants of  escaped  imported  beavers  from  Rutherford's  game  preserve 
near  Allamuchy,  Warren  Co.,  N.  J.  They  are  increasing,  and  laws  are 
being  enacted  for  their  preservation.  The  last  Pennsylvania  Cougars  or 
" panthers"  of  which  I  have  absolute  proof  of  capture  were  a  male  and  a 
female,  killed  in  Clinton  Co.  by  George  Hastings  in  1871.  A  Centre  Co. 
specimen  is  recorded  in  the  bounty  records  of  that  county  for  1886,  but  I 
have  been  unable  to  verify  its  reliability.  Others  have  been  reported  killed 
as  late  as  1893,  but  are  of  doubtful  standing.  Native  Wolves  apparently 
existed  in  Pennsylvania  as  late  as  1890.  All  wolves  killed  since  then  seem 
to  have  been  importations  liberated  by  bounty  thieves  or  escaped  from 
traveling  shows.  Wolfish  dogs  are  a  perennial  source  of  local  wolf  stories. 
The  Canada  Lynx,  never  numerous  here,  probably  lingers  in  solitary  cases 
in  the  northern  wilds  of  Pennsylvania.  Bears,  Wild  Cats  and  Foxes  are  in- 
creasing in  our  extensive  deforested  districts. 

The  list  of  fossil  mammalia  found  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  greatly 
exceeds  that  of  the  rest  of  the  United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  river. 
This  is  due  to  the  discovery  of  the  numerous  fossil-bearing  limestone  caves 
and  fissures  in  the  Delaware  valley,  and  to  the  researches  of  Leidy,  Marsh 
and  Cope  among  these  and  in  the  marl  beds  of  New  Jersey. 

Of  mammals  strictly  non-recent,  our  list  of  fossil  mammalia  embraces  the 
following  :  Edentates  or  giant  sloths,  5  species  ;  Sirenians  or  aquatic  manatees 
and  dugongs,  2  ;  Cetaceans  or  whales  and  dolphins,  9  ;  Ungulates,  such  as  the 
elephant,  rhinoceros,  tapir,  horse,  peccaries,  deer  and  wild  oxen,  16 ; 
Rodents,  such  as  pikas,  giant  beavers,  rats  and  squirrels,  10 ;  Pinnipeds, 
such  as  walrus  and  sea  leopard,  3  ;  Carnivores,  such  as  sabre-tooth  cats,  cave 
bears,  skunks  and  otters,  15,  and  Insectivores,  such  as  shrews,  i.  In  all 
there  are  61  species  of  strictly  fossil  non-existent  species  recorded  from  our 
limits,  the  greater  part  of  which  were  originally  discovered  in  Pennsylvania 


6  MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

and  New  Jersey.  If  we  add  to  these  the  30  species  found  associated  in  the 
fossil  state  with  the  others,  but  which  are  identical  with  existing  species,  we 
have  a  list  of  91  species  of  fossil  mammalia  recorded  from  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey.  Comparing  this  with  the  list  of  species  native  to  and  recently 
existing  in  the  two  states  and  which  numbers  71  species  and  25  subspecies 
or  geographic  races,  we  have  the  rather  extraordinary  result  of  a  known 
extinct  mammalian  fauna  of  two  eastern  states  exceeding  their  existing 
mammal  fauna.  This  is  the  more  noteworthy  in  that  nearly  all  of  the 
terrestrial  extinct  species  have  been  found  in  pleistocene,  drift  or  terrace 
periods,  which  are  supposed  to  so  closely  antedate  the  present  age.  In 
contrast  with  this  I  may  mention  that  the  known  extinct  mammalian  fauna 
of  New  York,  as  given  recently  by  Miller,  only  numbers  5  species.  Another 
interesting  fact,  shown  by  our  list,  is  the  former  existence  in  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey  of  living  species  now  confined  to  the  Arctic  and  sub-Arctic 
faunae  of  Canada.  Of  these  I  may  mention  the  caribou,  musk  ox,  moose,, 
wolverene  and  walrus.  Of  the  southern  or  tropical  fossil  genera,  once  very 
abundant  in  the  Delaware  Valley,  none  of  the  characteristic  Sirenians 
giant  sloths,  shark-toothed  dolphins,  tapirs,  peccaries,  mastodons,  rhinoceros 
or  sabre-tooth  cats  now  exist  anywhere  in  the  earth.  These  are  two  of  the 
many  interesting  proofs  of  the  Arctic  source  of  Postpliocene  extinction. 

It  will  naturally  be  asked,  "  What  previous  publications  have  been  made 
regarding  the  mammalogy  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey?  " 

The  most  pretentious,  and  in  fact  the  only  work  relating  to  the  entire 
state  of  Pennsylvania  is  found  in  much  scattered  form  in  Dr.  B.  H.  War- 
ren's part  of  the  book  entitled  '•'  Diseases  and  Enemies  of  Poultry,"  pub- 
lished in  1897  by  the  Pennsylvania  Department  of  Agriculture.  In  this 
many  mammals  are  treated  at  length  from  the  economic  standpoint,  and 
incidentally  a  large  amount  of  valuable  information,  secured  from  residents  of 
the  state,  has  been  recorded  regarding  other  species.  As  a  book  of  general 
reference,  however,  or  as  a  list  of  species  of  Pennsylvania  mammals,  the  book 
makes  no  pretensions.  A  few  local  Pennsylvania  county  lists,  almost  worse 
than  useless  because  misleading,  "have  been  inserted  in  older  histories." 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  local  county  literature  relating  to  New  Jersey. 
Dr.  C.  C.  Abbot's  list  of  mammals,  published  in  the 'appendix  to  the  "  Geology 
of  New  Jersey"  in  1868,  is  the  only  one  relating  to  the  recent  mammalia 
of  that  state  worthy  of  mention.  It  enumerates  forty-seven  species,  about 
one-half  of  the  number  now  known.  Prof.  E.  D.  Cope's  list  of  extinct  New 
Jersey  mammals  in  the  same  book  includes  only  twenty  species,  nearly  all  of 
which  were  based  on  specimens  from  the  marl  beds.  This  number,  in  the 
light  of  subsequent  discoveries,  is  nearly  doubled. 

Since  the  studies  just  summarized  were  begun,  twelve  existing  species,  not 
previously  known  to  occur  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  have  been  there 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  7 

discovered.  Of  these,  four,  a  small  weasel,  a  native  cave  rat  larger  than  the 
Norway  rat,  a  red-backed  wood  mouse  or  vole,  and  a  lemming  vole,  the 
former  two  from  Pennsylvania,  the  latter  from  New  Jersey,  have  been  de- 
scribed as  new  to  science. 

The  specific  synonymy  used  in  the  present  paper  is  strictly  confined  to  a 
double  literary  reference ;  first,  to  the  earliest  use  of  the  name  accompanied 
by  an  original  description  of  the  species ;  secondly,  to  the  first  use  of  the  bi- 
nomial or  trinomial  which  I  have  considered  applicable  to  it  in  the  light  of 
present  knowledge.  The  unpublished  quotations  from  correspondents  are  suc- 
ceeded by  their  last  names  only,  and  a  list  of  these  with  their  addresses  given 
in  full  at  the  end  of  the  paper.  Published  quotations  are  accompanied  by 
references.  No  bibliographic  list  has  been  prepared  owing  to  the  very  lim- 
ited number  of  references  of  importance  relating  to  our  mammals  except 
those  published  in  Philadelphia  Journals  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 
the  American  Philosophical  Society,  and  in  the  American  Naturalist.  The 
measurements  given  are  in  millimeters,  their  equivalents  in  inches  being 
given  in  brackets  following.  It  may  be  explained  that  the  "  Type  Locality  " 
is  the  place  or  region  where  the  specimen  or  specimens  forming  the  original 
description  of  the  species,  binomially  named,  was  a  native. 

The  excellence  of  the  illustrations  is  largely  due  to  the  skillful  reproductive 
photography  of  Mr.  H.  Parker  Rolfe,  of  Philadelphia. 

Space  fails  me  to  here  express  more  particularly  the  kind  assistance  rendered 
by  the  many  correspondents  whose  names  are  given  in  the  appendix.     They 
have  my  grateful  thanks. 
Audubon,  N.  J.,  April  n,  1903. 


LIST  OF  RECENT  MAMMALS  INDIGENOUS  TO 
PENNSYLVANIA  AND  NEW  JERSEY. 


Class  MAMMALIA. 

Order  MARSUPALIA  ;  Marsupials. 

Family  DIDELPHID^E  ;  Opossums. 

Genus  Didelphis  Linnaeus.  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  Vol.  I.,  p.  54. 
Northeastern  pr  Virginia  OpOSSUm.     Didelphis  virginiana  Kerr. 

1792.  Didelphis  virginianus  Kerr,  Animal  Kingdom,  Vol.  i,  Systematic 
catalog  inserted  between  pages  32  and  33  ;  description  on  another  page. 

Type  locality. — Virginia  (Colonial). 

Faunal  distribution. — New  York  to  Florida,  west  to  Mississippi  valley. 
Formerly  confined  to  austral  zones  ;  now  invading  the  transition  zone. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Variably  abundant  in  middle  and  southern 
counties  in  all  situations  except  in  the  mountain  summits ;  extending  north- 
ward in  lessening  numbers  along  river  valleys  to  and  into  New  York  state  from 
Lake  Erie  to  the  Hudson  River.  With  the  deforesting  of  the  mountains  in- 
vading large  areas  of  the  Alleghanian  regions  previously  unknown  to  them. 
Equally  "  at  home  "  in  the  lumber  piles  and  hen  roosts  of  the  town  as  among 
the  untrodden  haunts  of  the  wilderness. 

Records  in  Pa.  (extralimital  only  given)  : 

Armstrong  and  Butler  Cos. — "  I  have  examined  specimens  from  the  Buf- 
falo Creek  region  of  these  two  counties." — Todd,  1902. 

Cameron  Co. — "Last  winter  (1895)  two  were  brought  to  Emporium." 
— Larrabee. 

Centre  Co. — Rare,  and  at  lower  levels  only.  One  killed  at  State  College 
in  1895. — Fernald. 

Clinton  Co. — Specimen  in  Pierce's  collection  taken  near  Renovo.  I  saw 
tracks  of  one,  Nov.,  1898,  along  the  Sinnemahoning  at  Round  Island. — 

(8) 


MAMMALS   PA.   A 


N.  J.,  RHOAD3. 


York- 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  9 

Rhoads.  Catch  one  in  5  or  6  years  in  bottom  land  ;  also  caught  one  in  bear 
trap  on  top  of  mountain  (1800  ft.)  near  Round  Island. — Nelson,  1896. 

Columbia  Co. — More  plenty  last  four  years  (1896  to  1900)  ;  once  very 
rare  at  Fishing  Creek. — Buckalew. 

Erie  Co. — "A  skull  was  picked  up  on  the  peninsula  at  Erie,  spring  of 
1900."— Todd. 

Lycoming  Co. — Coming  in  rarely  at  Eaglesmere  in  last  six  years  (1890-96). 
— Bennett. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — Rare  on  Pocono  plateau,  coming  up  to  1500  feet. 
Specimens  taken  at  Porter's  Lake.  Less  rare  at  Dingman's  Ferry. — Rhoads, 
1895. 

Somerset  Co. — "  Becoming  numerous  near  New  Lexington  in  the  last  few 
years.  I  killed  one  on  my  hen  roost  two  months  ago  (Nov.,  1900).  Ten  or 
fifteen  years  ago  none  here." — Moore. 

Sullivan  Co.,  Lopez. — They  reach  the  top  of  our  mountains.  I  saw  the 
trail  of  one  in  a  new  fall  of  snow  in  January,  1901,  near  our  camp.  We 
caught  one  in  (March?)  1901  near  Lopez. — Behr. 

Tioga  Co. — Several  caught  in  1898  in  vicinity  of  Canton. — Cleveland. 

Union  Co. — Increasing  at  Mifflinburg. — Chambers,  1901. 

Wyoming  Co. — G.  F.  Smith  records  one  in  1896  as  a  very  rare  occurrence. 
—Warren. 

Records  in  N.  J.  (extralimital  only  given). — The  opossum  probably  was 
never  absent  from  any  part  of  New  Jersey  as  it  once  was  in  the  more 
boreal  parts  of  Pennsylvania. — Rhoads. 

Bergen  Co. — Found  sparingly  along  the  Palisades. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Hudson  Co. — Audubon  states  (Quad.  N.  Amer.,  Vol.  2,  p.  124)  opossums 
were  sometimes  found  within  five  or  ten  miles  of  New  York  City  in  New 
Jersey. 

Passaic  Co. — Two  were  captured  in  1895  and  1806  by  hunters  near 
Greenwood  Lake  ;  considered  rare  at  that  place.  Occasional  on  the  Bearfoot 
Mountains  (700  to  1400  feet).  Rhoads,  fide  Leonard  Wright. 

Habits,  etc. — Spending  the  day  in  hollow  trees,  logs,  deserted  burrows, 
drains,  sewers,  rail  and  brush  piles,  ricks  and  outbuildings ;  prowling  at  night 
for  fruit,  nuts,  mammals,  eggs,  birds,  reptiles,  mollusks,  insects  and  Crustacea. 
In  extremity  a  cannibal  and  eater  of  carrion.  Owing  its  urban  existence  to 
non-resistance,  fecundity,  omnivorous  diet  and  a  prehensile  tail.  Producing 
sometimes  as  many  as  sixteen  young,  which  at  birth  are  three-fourths  inch 
long,  naked  and  with  rudimentary  hind  limbs ;  each  securely  attached  to  a 
teat  within  the  abdominal  pouch,  from  which  they  emerge  when  of  the  size 
of  small  rats  and  cling  by  tail  and  feet  to  the  body  of  the  parent.  Stated  to 
have  three  litters  in  a  year.  Its  habit  of  eating  wild  birds,  their  eggs  and 
young,  and  its  fondness  for  poultry  offset  in  some  degree  its  usefulness  as  a 


10  MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

scavenger,  an  eater  of  injurious  animals,  a  producer  of  furs  and  food  for  man. 
It  may  be  safely  classed  as  a  useful  animal  whose  overabundance  in  populous 
districts  may  be  easily  checked  by  the  trapper's  arts. 


Order  CETACEA;   Whales  and  Dolphins. 
Family  BALAENUXE  ;  Whalebone  or  Baleen  Whales. 
Genus  Balaena  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  Vol.  I,  p.  75. 
Black  Right  Whale.     Balcena  glacialis  Bonnaterre. 

1789.  Balana  glacialis  Bonnaterre,  Tableau  Encycl.  and  Method,  des 
Trois  Regnes  de  la  Nature,  Cetologie,  p.  3. 

Type  locality, — Near  the  coasts  of  Norway  and  Iceland. 

Faunal  distribution. — North  Atlantic  Ocean. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and N.  J. — Rare  along  the  New  Jersey  coast  in  winter  ; 
sometimes  ascending  Delaware  and  New  York  Bays. 

Habits,  etc. — Once  abundant  in  the  north  Atlantic  and  nearing  extinction, 
but  now  increasing  in  numbers. — Holder,  1883.  The  baleen  or  sieve-like 
bristles  within  the  mouth  separate  the  minute  crustaceans  and  pteropods 
which  swarm  in  immense  shoals  where  it  feeds.  To  secure  these  it  takes  a 
mouthful  of  water  and  in  the  act  of  closing  it  and  ejecting  the  water  the 
"baleen  project  from  the  palate  automatically  and  close  together  in  front  of  the 
ejected  water,  straining  out  and  retaining  any  food  which  it  contains.  True 
says  (Cat.  Aquat.  Mam.  U.  S.  N.  M.,  Ind.  Fish  Exhib.,  1884,  p.  13)  that 
this  species  "is  believed  to  have  been  the  object  of  very  considerable  fishery 
in  early  colonial  times,  but  has  disappeared  entirely  for  many  years." 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.J.: 

"They  were  formerly  abundant  about  the  mouth  of  the  Delaware  river.  A 
letter  of  William  Perm  dated  1683  states  that  eleven  were  taken  that  year 
about  the  Capes.  Five  specimens  are  stated  to  have  been  seen  in  tiie  Dela- 
ware river  since  that  time,  and  two  of  great  size  are  recorded  to  have  been 
seen  on  the  coast  of  Maryland." — Cope,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1865,  p. 
1 68.  The  type  specimen  of  Cope's  Balaena  cisarctica,  now  considered  a 
synonym  of  B.  glacialis,  was  taken  in  1862  in  the  river  opposite  Philadelphia. 
Its  skeleton  is  now  mounted  in  the  museum  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences of  Philadelphia.  See  Proceeeings  of  the  Academy  above  cited. — 
Rhoads,  1902. 

New  York  Bay. — "Some  are  known  to  enter  New  York  Harbor." — 
Cope,  1.  c. 

A  specimen,  apparently  of  this  species,  is  in  the  Rutgers  College  Museum, 


MAMMELS  PA.  AND  N.  J.,  RHOADS. 


.  (Orcinua). 

WHALES    AND    DOLPHINS  (Cetaceans}. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  II 

taken  from  the  Raritan  River,  near  Sayreville,  N.  ].,  May,  1874,  by  Capt.  E. 
G.  Roberts.  It  is  42  feet  long. — Rhoads. 

One  of  this  species  "  was  captured  off  the  New  Jersey  coast  by  a  crew  of 
experienced  Egg  Harbor  whalers  by  the  usual  method  of  harpooning.  It 
was  exhibited  during  several  weeks  of  the  spring  of  1882  "  after  being  brought 
to  New  York  City.  It  was  not  preserved.  See  Holder,  Bull.  Amer.  Mus.  N. 
Hist.,  vol.  i,  p.  106. 

This  is  probably  the  species  recorded  by  Ord  in  1815  in  Guthrie's  Geog- 
raphy, p.  292,  as  follows  :  "  A  young  whale  of  this  species  \_Balaena  mysticetus 
of  his  list]  was  taken  in  the  Delaware  in  the  vicinity  of  the  [Trenton]  Falls 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1814  ;  and  exhibited  at  Philadelphia." 

"  Balaena  mysticetus. — Has  been  twice  known  to  occur  within  the  limits  of 
Delaware  County." — Cassin,  in  History  of  Del.  Co.,  Pa.,  1862. 

Genus  Balaenoptera  Lacepede,  Histoire  Naturelle  des  Cetacees,  1803-4,  p. 
xxxvi,  in  Tableau  des  Ordres. 

Little  Piked  Whale ;  Least  Rorqual  or  Fin  Back.  Balanoptera 
acuto-rostrata  Lacepede. 

1803-4.  Balanoptera  acuto-rostrata  Lacepede,  Histoire  Naturelle  des 
Cetacees,  p.  xxxvi,  Tableau  des  Ordres,  pp.  134,  141. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Atlantic  Ocean,  from  Davis  Straits  to  the  Mediterra- 
nean Sea  and  New  Jersey. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  JV.  J. — Very  rare  on  the  New  Jersey  coast.  A 
doubtful  specimen  recorded  from  Pennsylvania  waters. 

Habits,  etc. — This  smallest  of  the  fin-backs,  rarely  exceeds  30  feet  in  length. 
It  associates  with  the  large  rorquals  and  feeds  largely  on  fish,  though  its 
baleen  undoubtedly  enables  it  to  net  Crustacea,  etc.  It  is  distinguished  from 
other  whales  by  its  white  under  parts,  including  the  under  side  of  tail  and 
flippers,  and  by  the  broad  white  band  which  crosses  the  outer  side  of  the 
latter.  The  sharp,  piked  snout  gives  it  its  name. 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — "  A  pike-headed  whale  was  caught  some  years 
since  in  the  Delaware,  near  Reedy  Island  and  shown  in  Philadelphia  and 
New  York." — Ord,  Guthrie's  Geography.  2d  Amer.  ed.,  1815,  p.  292.  As 
this  specimen  was  subjected  to  'examination,  the  peculiarity  of  its  head,  as 
indicated  in  the  specific  name  given  by  Ord,  would  lend  color  to  the  correct- 
ness of  the  identification.  It  may,  however,  have  been  a  Megaptera,  as  Ord 
previously  names  it  M.  hoops. 

Mr.  True  sends  me  the  following  record  of  a  capture  :  "  Long  Beach,  N.  J.,. 
fall,  1866."  This  probably  refers  to  the  specimen  recorded  by  Cope,  Proc. 
A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  221,  cast  ashore  opposite  Westecunk  on  the  outer  side 


12  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

of  Little  Egg  Harbor  near  the  residence  of  Wm.  A.  Crane.  Cope  makes  it 
the  type  of  a  new  genus  (pp.  223-24)  Agaphelus,  and  names  it  Agaphelus 
gibbosus. — Rhoads,  1902. 

General  notes  on  baleen  whales  of  Pa.  and  N.  jf. — The  following  relate 
chiefly  to  whalebone  whales  in  our  limits  of  the  Rorqual  and  Right  Whale 
species  in  this  list:  "In  1688  Phineas  Pemberton  of  Pennsbury  records  one 
up  as  far  as  Trenton  Falls  [Delaware  River]."  In  1733  "  two  whales  were 
chased  in  the  Delaware, ,  opposite  Philadelphia,  but  escaped. — Watson's 
Annals." 

In  1693  Thomas  Learning  settled  at  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  and  that  winter  went 
whaling,  killing  8  whales,  "5  of  which  they  drove  to  the  Hoarkills."  In  1691 
the  whaling  industry  of  Cape  May  was  so  profitable  that  the  business  of  a 
•cooper  for  oil  barrels  "made  the  demand  and  pay  for  casks  certain.'' — See 
quotations  from  MSS.  notes  of  T.  Learning  in  Geology  of  Cape  May  Co.,  N.  J., 
1857,  pp.  175,  176.  Master  Evelyn's  Letter  in  Plantaganets'  "  New  Albion," 
1648,  says  :  "  There  is  much  variety  of  ...  fish,  whales  and  grampus,"  etc., 
referring  by  implication  to  the  southernmost  section  of  New  Jersey.  In  the 
41  Historical  Collections  of  New  Jersey,"  Barber  and  Howe,  1865,  P-  3^9, 
there  is  a  quotation  from  the  manuscript  of  J.  F.  Watson,  under  date  of  July, 
1833,  which  states :  "I  was  surprised  to  learn  from  old  Stephen  Inman,  one 
of  the  twelve  islanders  of  Long  Beach,  himself  aged  75  years,  that  he  and  his 
family  had  never  ceased  to  be  whale  catchers  along  this  coast.  They  de- 
vote themselves  to  it  in  February  and  March.  Generally  catch  two  or  three 
of  a  season  ....  Whalebones  of  large  size  are  seen  bleaching  on  the 
sand."  On  page  41  of  the  Historical  Collections,  just  cited,  we  read  that 
whales  were  "  numerous  in  winter  on  the  coast  and  in  the  bay,  where  they 
frequently  grounded  ;"  also,  that  on  the  i5th  of  February,  1668,  a  commis- 
sion was  granted  to  a  Company  in  Elizabethtown  [Elizabeth],  N.  J.,  to  take 
whales  for  3  years.  During  that  period  a  whale  was  cast  ashore  at  Navesink 
and  delivered  to  the  Company.  Vanderdonck  in  his  Description  of  the  New 
Netherlands  says:  "Whales  are  numerous  in  winter  on  the  coast  and  in  the 
bay,  where  they  frequently  ground  on  the  shoals  and  bars." 

A  whale  40  feet  long,  of  a  whalebone  or  baleen  species,  was  taken  in  June. 
1874,  at  South  Amboy,  N.  J. — See  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  2,  p.  267.  This  is 
probably  the  one  in  the  Rutgers  College  Museum,  previously  recorded  under 
Balaena  glacialis. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Mr.  H.  W.  Hand  wiites  me  that  a  few  of  the  large  whales  are  seen  an- 
Jiually  off  Cape  May,  usually  in  the  early  winter. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Great  Finback  ;  Rorqual.     Balcenoptera  physalus  ( Linnaeus ) . 
1758.     Balcena  physalus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  p.  75. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  13 

1897.  Balcenoptera  physahts  True,  Proceedings  U.  S.  National  Museum, 
No.  1163,  p.  633. 

Type  locality. — Spitzbergen  (Marten's  "  Finfisch  "). 

Faunal  distribution. — The  common  large  whale  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and 
the  one  most  frequently  stranded  upon  our  coasts. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Occasional  along  the  coast  of  N.  J.,  some- 
times entering  bays. 

Habits,  etc. — Dr.  True  writes  me  that  this  is  "  a  migratory  animal  and  the 
specimens  stranded  are  probably  from  passing  schools."  No  doubt  these 
stranded  animals  on  our  New  Jersey  coast  have  been  often  crippled  far  at  sea 
by  collision  with  passing  vessels.  The  food  of  this  species  is  chiefly  fish, 
herring  and  smelts  being  a  favorite  sort.  It  grows  60  to  70  feet  long. 
Species  of  Balcenoptera  are  said  to  be  able  to  stay  under  water  8  to  1 2  hours. 
They  are  inoffensive  when  attacked.  No  doubt  some  of  the  stranded  speci- 
mens have  been  lured  into  shallow  water  on  the  New  Jersey  coast  by  the 
schools  of  "  moss  bunkers." 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — A  jaw,  apparently  of  this  species,  was  found  by 
me  on  the  beach  near  Beach  Haven,  N.  J.,  about  1885. — Rhoads.  Mr.  True 
informs  me  that  a  specimen  from  Delaware  Bay  was  stranded  near  Fenwick's 
Island  Life  Saving  Station,  Delaware,  May  2,  1896. 

Great  Blue  Whale.     Balcenoptera  musculus  (Linnaeus). 

1758.  Balcena  musculus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  p.  76. 

1898.  Balcenoptera   musculus  True,  Proceedings  United  States  National 
Museum,  No.  1163,  p.  633. 

Type  locality. — Firth  of  Forth,  Scotland  (Sibbald's  spec.). 

Faunal  distribution. — North  Atlantic  Ocean  southward  to  shores  of  Eng- 
land and  New  Jersey ;  a  larger  and  more  northerly  ranging  species  than  the 
common  Finback. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Occasionally  noted  on  the  N.  J.  coast. 

Habits,  etc. — This,  said  to  be  the  greatest  of  all  animals  living  or  extinct,  is 
much  larger  than  any  other  species  of  whale.  The  "  sulphur-bottom  "  form 
found  in  the  Pacific  has  been  taken  nearly  100  feet  long.  They  can  swim  at 
the  rate  of  1 2  miles  an  hour.  Their  food  is  mainly  derived  from  schools  of 
the  smaller-sized  fish. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Cape  May  Co.,  Ocean  City.  A  large  specimen  was 
stranded  October  i,  1891.  Its  skeleton  (No.  5316,  A.  N.  S.  Catalog.)  is 
in  the  museum  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia.  It  was 
measured  in  the  flesh  by  Messrs.  J.  E.  Ives  and  F.  W.  True,  and  found  to 
be  67  feet  long.  Prof.  E.  D.  Cope  describes  it  at  length  in  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci., 
1891,  p.  474- 


14  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Genus  Megaptera  Gray,  Zoology  Voyage  Erebus  and  Terror,  1846,  p.  16. 
New  England  Humpback  Whale.     Megaptera  nodosa  (Bonnaterre). 

1 789.  Balczna  nodosa  Bonnaterre,  Tableau  Encycl.  et  Methodique ;  Trois 
Regnes  de  la  Nature  ;  Cetologie,  p.  5. 

1898.  Megaptera  nodosa  True,  Proc.  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Nov.  4, 
Vol.  21,  p.  635. 

Type  locality. — Shores  of  New  England  (Dudley  in  Phil.  Trans.  Roy. 
Soc.,  Lond.).  " 

Faunal  distribution. — The  East  Atlantic  form  of  the  M.  hoops  of  authors  is 
numerous  on  the  entire  Atlantic  coast  of  the  United  States. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Occurring  off  the  New  Jersey  coast;  speci- 
mens having  been  taken  on  the  coast  of  Maine,  Massachusetts  and  Virginia, 
and  described  by  Cope  (Proc.  A.  N.  S.,  Phila.,  1865,  1866)  as  M.  osphyia. 

Habits,  etc. — Owing  to  the  poor  quality  of  this  whale  it  is  avoided  by 
whalers.  It  is  distinguished  from  the  rorqual  by  the  great  length  and  size  of 
its  fins.  The  hump-like  form  of  the  dorsal  fin  gives  it  the  common  name. 
They  are  extremely  variable  in  color,  black,  white  and  gray  being  variously 
combined.  The  Megapteras  are  the  only  baleen  whales  which  "  breach  "  or 
leap  clear  of  the  water.  They  are  very  playful,  striking  each  other  resounding 
whacks  with  the  immense  flippers  and  thrashing  about  in  and  out  of  the  water 
so  as  to  be  heard  miles  away  in  favorable  weather.  They  have  been  known 
to  spout  twenty  feet  high  in  calm  weather.  The  young  number  one  to  two. 
They  feed  on  crustaceans  and  fish. 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — It  is  possible  that  the  record  of  a  "pike-headed 
whale"  given  by  Ord  (see  under  Balcenoptera  acutorostrata  above)  as  taken 
in  the  Delaware  river,  may  have  referred  to  this  species.  I  know  of  no 
records  of  the  stranding  of  this  whale  on  our  shores. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Family  PHYSETERUVE  ;  Sperm  or  Toothed  Whales. 
Genus  Physeter  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  1758,  p.  76. 
Sperm  Whale  ;  Cachalot.     Physeter  macrocephalus  Linnaeus. 

1758.  Physeter  macrocephalus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  Vol.  i,  p.  76. 

Type  locality. — Seas  of  Europe. 

Faunal  distribution. — Temperate  and  tropical  seas  of  the  world.  Rarely 
reaching  arctic  seas. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Rarely  washed  ashore  on  the  New  Jersey 
coast.  Not  frequenting  sandy  seacoasts  or  shallow  waters  as  do  the  rorquals. 

Habits,  etc.  —  This   huge   animal,   the  most  desirable  from  an  economic 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  15 

standpoint  on  account  of  its  "  sperm  oil,"  subsists  principally  on  the  giant 
squids  and  cuttle  fish  and  larger  species  of  true  fish  which  it  quickly 
crushes  in  its  toothed  jaws.  The  color  is  black  above,  shading  to  gray. 
Its  enormous  head,  shaped  above  like  a  rounded  box,  is  nearly  one-third  the 
entire  length  of  the  animal.  The  flippers  are  small  and  it  has  only  one 
blow- hole  instead  of  two,  as  in  the  toothless  baleen  whales.  These  whales 
sometimes  attack  boats  and  even  ships,  crushing  or  staving  them  in. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Mr.  True  kindly  furnishes  me  with  the  following  data  : 
Cape  May,  N.  J.,  Aug.,  1882,  a  scapula,  radius  and  ulna  in  U.  S.  National 
Museum,  No.  20,872. — Young,  i8'-6"  long.  Brigantine  Beach,  N.  J.,  May  4, 
1900.  Young  male. 

Genus  Kogia  Gray,  Zoology  Voyage  Erebus  and  Terror,  Vol.  i,  1846^.  22. 
Pigmy  Sperm  Whale.     Kogia  breviceps  (De  Blainville). 

1838.  Physeter  breviceps  De  Blainville,  Annals  Anat.  &  Physiol,  vol.  2, 
P-  337- 

1846.  Kogia  breviceps  Gray,  Zoology  of  Voy.  Erebus  and  Terror,  Vol.  I, 
p.  22. 

Type  locality. — Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

Fauna/  distribution. — Temperate  and  tropical  seas  of  the  world. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Stranded  at  various  points  on  the  New 
Jersey  coast. 

Habits,  etc. — This  seems  to  be  the  smallest  of  our  whales.  Its  extremely 
short  nose  and  head  distinguish  it  from  the  dolphins  with  which  it  has 
resemblance  because  of  small  size.  Their  habits  have  not  been  put  on 
record.  The  color  of  a  New  Jersey  specimen,  as  given  by  True,  is  dark 
above,  light  beneath,  the  line  of  separation  being  straight  along  the  middle 
of  the  side  above  the  flippers. 

Records  in  N.J.,  Atlantic  Co. — Barnegat  City,N.  J.,  Oct.  24,  1885,  female. 
— Cat.  No.  15,222,  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Loveladie's  Id.,  N.  J.,  Oct.  25, 
1885,  male. — Cat.  No.  15,223,  U.  S.  National  Museum.  Atlantic  City,  N.  J., 
Apr.,  1888,  Male.— Cat.  No.  22,893,  U.  S.  National  Museum. 

Cape  May  Co. — Corson's  Inlet,  Sea  Isle  City,  Feb.  18,  1894,  a  male,  10 
feet  long  ;  stranded  on  the  beach,  considerably  mutilated.  In  Wistar  Insti- 
tute Museum,  University  of  Pennsylvania.  Ocean  City,  Nov.  2,  1899,  a  male, 
ii  feet  long,  weighing  about  700  pounds.  No.  3,700,  catalogue  of  the 
Wistar  Institute.  This  fine  specimen  was  driven  into  a  small  cove  by  fisher- 
men and  killed. 

Monrnouth  Co. — Spring  Lake,  April  17,  1883;  stranded  on  shore,  Cat. 
No.  13,738,  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Wash'n.  Figured  in  Hist.  Aquat. 
Amin.,  U.  S.  Fish  Com.,  1884,  pi.  2. 


1 6  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW    JERSEY. 

Family  ZIPHIIDAE  ;  Bottle-nosed  or  Beaked  Whales. 
Genus  Ziphius  Cuvier,  Ossemens  Fossiles,  1823,  Vol.  V,  p.  352. 
Cuvier's  Beaked  Whale.     Ziphius  cavirostris  Cuvier. 

1823.  Ziphius  cavirostris  Cuvier,  Ossemens  Fossiles,  Vol.  V,  p.  352. 

Type  locality. — Mediterranean  coast  of  France. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Temperate  and  tropical  seas  of  the  world. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — A  rare  straggler  to  the  coast  of  New  Jersey. 

Habits,  etc. — Not  known ;  at  least  undescribed  with  certainty.  It  was 
originally  named  from  a  fossil  skull  fragment  and  subsequently  found  to  be 
also  an  existing  species.  The  skull  is  much  hollowed  frontally,  the  pre- 
maxillae  and  nasals  rising  high  to  the  vertex  of  the  cranium  and  projecting 
forward  over  the  nares.  There  are  no  functional  teeth,  except  two  small 
ones  in  the  apex  of  the  lower  jaw.  Length  about  twenty  feet. 

Record  in  N.  J.,  Atlantic  Co. — At  Barnegat  City  an  adult  female  19  ft. 
4  in.  long,  was  cast  ashore  Oct.  3,  1883.  Its  color  was  "light  stone-gray, 
darkest  on  the  belly,"  an  unusual  color  pattern.  This  is  the  first  and  only 
record  of  the  genus  in  the  northwestern  Atlantic. — See  True,  Science,  Vol.  II, 
1883,  p.  540. 


Genus  Hyperoodon    Lacepede,  Histoire    Naturelle    des   Cetacees,    1803-4; 
Tableaux  des  Ordres,  p.  xliv. 

Bottlenose  Whale ;  Pug-Head  Whale.  Hyperoodon  ampullatus 
(Forster). 

1770.  Balaena  ampullatus  Forster,  Linnaean  Travels,  Kalm,  Vol.  I,  p.  18, 
foot-note. 

1902.  Hyperoodon  ampullatus  Rhoads,  Science,  N.  York,  Vol.  15,  p.  756. 

Type  locality.— Coast  of  Scotland. 

Faunal  distribution. — North  Atlantic  Ocean ;  straggling  southward  to 
Rhode  Island  and  Scotland. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Likely  to  again  occur  off  the  coast  of  New 
Jersey,  one  specimen  having  been  taken  in  New  York  Bay,  another  at  New- 
port, Rhode  Island. 

Habits,  etc. — This  whale  is  common  is  the  far  north.  It  is  small  (20  to  30 
feet),  and  the  male  has  a  square,  high  forehead  suddenly  rising  from  the 
beaked  Fnout.  They  go  in  small  herds  among  the  ice  and  are  very  tame, 
leaping  far  into  the  air  and  diving  head  first  like  a  fish.  They  go  to  great 
depths  to  feed  on  a  species  of  cuttle  fish  about  6  inches  long.  They  migrate 
southward  in  winter,  rarely  reaching  the  New  England  coast.  This  species 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  1 7 

"has  a  beak  like  the  dolphin's,  only  shorter.  No  teeth  are  visible  above  the 
gums,  two  at  the  apex  of  the  lower  jaw  are  the  largest,  but  non- functional. 

Records  in  N.  J. — New  York  Bay, — De  Kay  records  a  specimen  taken  in 
the  "lower"  bay  in  1822  ;  said  to  be  a  female. — Zool.  N.  York,  Vol.  I,  1842, 
p.  131. 

Kalm  says  it  was  common  during  his  voyage  to  America  almost  all  the  way 
across  the  Atlantic  to  the  shores  of  the  United  States. 


Genus  Mesoplodon  Gervais,  Annal.  Scien.  Nature,  series  3,  1850,  vol.  14,  p.  16. 
Sowerby's  Whale,  Cowfish.     Mesoplodon  bidens  (Sowerby). 

1806.  Physeter  bidens  Sowerby,  British  Miscellany,  p.  i. 

1877.  Mesoplodon  bidens  Flower,  Proceedings  Zodlogical  Society,  London, 
p.  684. 

Type  locality, — Near  Brodie  House,  Elginshire,  Scotland. 

Fauna/  distribution, — Not  determined. 

Distribution  in  Pa,  and  N,  J. — Recorded  once  from  the  N.  J.  coast. 

Habits,  etc. — Not  described  by  authors.  Known  from  the  other  Ziphoids 
by  generally  having  the  two,  solitary,  mandibular  teeth  set  nearly  half  way 
back  from  the  apex  of  the  jaw,  and  sometimes  these  are  of  great  size,  actually 
meeting  over  the  rostrum.  In  bidens  they  are  less  exaggerated. 

Record  in  N.  J.,  Atlantic  Co, — A  male,  12^  feet  long,  was  stranded  at 
Atlantic  City,  March  28,  1889,  and  was  secured  for  the  U.  S.  National  Mu- 
seum at  Washington,  by  Mr.  F.  W.  True.  Cat.  No.  ££f  £f .— See  Proc.  Roy. 
Phys.  Soc.,  Edinb.,  vol.  10,  p.  13. 

Family  DELPHINID^;  ;  Dolphins  and  Porpoises. 

Genus  Tursiops  Gervais,  Histoire  Natur.  des  Mammiferes,  1855,  vol.  2,  p.  323. 
Bottlenose  Dolphin,  Common  Porpoise.     Tursiops  tursio  (Fabricius). 

i  780.  Delphinus  tursio  Fabricius,  Fauna  Greenland.,  p.  49. 

1864.  Tursiops  tursio  Gervais,  Comptes  Rendus,  p.  876. 

Type  locality. — Coast  of  Greenland. 

Faunal  distribution. — Atlantic  Ocean,  from  Greenland  to  France  and  the 
West  Indies. 

Distribution  in  Pa,  and  N.  J. — The  commonest  species  of  Delphinidce  on 
the  coast  of  N.  J.  Rarely  entering  bays  and  rivers. 

Habits,  etc. — "  A  company,  called  the  Porpoise  Fishing  Co.,  was  incorpor- 
ated under  the  laws  of  New  Jersey,  Feb.  i,  1894,  and  undertook  the  capture 


1 8  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

of  this  species  on  a  large  scale  at  Cape  May.     Though  numbers  were  taken 
the  enterprise  did  not  prove  a  success." — True,  MSS.  note,  1902. 

They  are  most  abundant  in  spring,  rare  in  December  and  January,  and 
decrease  greatly  by  July.  They  associate  in  large  schools,  as  many  as  66 
being  taken  in  the  nets  at  one  haul  during  the  spring  migration.  At  this 
time  the  females  are  suckling  young  of  various  sizes,  some  of  which  had  been 
born  the  previous  winter  and  fall.  The  number  of  sexes  is  about  equal. 
The  average  length  is  9  feet.  The  largest  taken  at  Cape  Hatteras  was  1 2  feet 
long,  and  yielded  24  gallons  of  oil.  The  color  is  purplish  lead-gray  above, 
the  belly  white,  indistinctly  separated  by  a  line  joining  the  base  of  the  tail 
and  angle  of  the  mouth.  The  lower  jaw  projects  beyond  the  upper.  Their 
food  is  small  fish.  The  oil  is  of  superior  quality,  and  the  skin  makes  an  ex- 
ceedingly strong  leather.  The  number  taken  at  the  Hatteras  fishery  in  season 
of  1884-85  was  1,268. 

Records  in  N.  J.,  Cape  May  Co. — "Caught  in  numbers  at  Cape  May." — 
Jordan,  Man.  of  Vert.  U.  S.,  1899,  p.  333. 

A  specimen  from  Cape  May,  taken  Sept.  i,  1884,  is  in  the  U.  S.  Nat.  Mu- 
seum. Another,  taken  at  Turkey  Gut,  near  Cape  May,  Oct.  8,  1883,  is  also 
in  the  National  Museum.  It  is  a  skeleton  of  a  female,  No.  20,962. — True» 
1902. 

The  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia  "  has  been  presented 
with  a  skeleton  of  a  very  old  individual  by  Dr.  Howell  of  this  city,  who  ob- 
tained the  animal  some  years  since  from  a  fisherman's  seine  at  Red  Bank, 
below  opposite  this  city." — Cope,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Philada.,  1865,  p.  281. 
This  specimen  was  here  described,  and  named  Delphinus  erebennus.  I  am 
told  that  it  is  yet  in  the  Academy's  collection.  It  is  considered  by  cetolo- 
gists  to  be  the  same  as  T.  tursio. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Genus  Delphinus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  Vol.  I,  p.  77. 
Common  Dolphin ;  Ring-Eyed  Porpoise.    Delphinus  delphis  Linnaeus. 

1758.  Delphinus  delphis  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  Vol.  I,  p.  79. 

Type  locality. — Coast  of  Europe. 

Faunal  distribution. — Temperate  and  tropical  waters  of  the  Atlantic,. 
Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans,  generally  avoiding  harbors  and  bays. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Not  certainly  found  in  the  limits  of  Penna. 
Living  off  the  shores  of  N.  J.  Occasionally  entering  New  York  and  (?) 
Delaware  Bays.  Jordan  says  it  is  scarce  on  the  coasts  of  North  America. 
Godtnan  says  they  were  abundant  in  1827  in  the  bays  and  harbors  of  the 
Middle  States. 

Habits,  etc. — The  habits  and  popular  names  of  the  dolphins  and  porpoises 
on  our  coast  are  greatly  confused,  owing  to  their  similarity  in  size  and  actions,. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  19 

and  the  concealment  of  their  watery  surroundings.  The  common  dolphin 
may  be  known  from  the  bottle-nosed  animal  by  its  long  snout  and  peculiar 
striped  markings  of  the  sides  of  body  and  head.  It  is  a  much  slenderer  ani- 
mal than  the  harbor  porpoise  or  herring  hog  which  frequents  our  bays  and 
rivers,  the  latter  resembling  in  color  and  shape  of  head  more  closely  the 
bottlenose.  The  latter,  however,  is  not  nearly  as  stout  and  round-fmned  as 
the  harbor  porpoise  and  has  a  "  beak  "  wholly  lacking  in  the  latter  species. 
This  is  "The  Dolphin  "  of  the  ancients,  mythology  and  fable.  Its  variegated 
colors,  swiftness,  sociability  and  abundance  in  the  Meditteranean  make  it  the 
most  familiar  of  the  Cetaceans.  At  the  same  time  it  has  been  so  confused 
with  other  species  as  to  make  most  accounts  of  it  unreliable. 

Records  in  N.J. — True  records  2  specimens  from  New  York  Harbor  and 
Bay. — Bull.  Nat.  Museum,  1889,  pp.  56,  57. 

Cape  May  Co.,  Ocean  City. — A  female  containing  foetus  was  presented  to 
the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia  in  1894.  The  skeleton  of 
the  adult  is  No.  5360,  Coll.  A.  N.  S.,  Phila. 

Genus  Prodelphinus  Gervais,  Osteographie  des  Cetaces,  1880,  p.  604. 
Spotted  Dolphin.     Prodelphinus plagiodon  (Cope). 

1866.  Delphinus  plagiodon  Cope,  Proceedings  Academy  Natural  Sciences, 
Philadelphia,  p.  296. 

1889.  Prodelphinus  plagiodon  True,  Bulletin  U.  S.  National  Museum,  No. 
36,  p.  66. 

Type  locality. — Unknown.  Type  is  "  No.  3,884  Mus.  Smithsonian  "  Insti- 
tution, Washington. — Cope.  Probably  from  the  east  coast  of  United  States. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Abundant  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  on  the  coast 
of  the  United  States  as  far  north  as  Cape  Hatteras. — True,  1884.  Stated  by 
Jordan  to  reach  the  coast  of  N.  J. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — The  only  mention  that  I  discover  referring 
this  species  to  our  fauna,  is  by  Jordan  in  the  1899  edition  of  his  Manual  of 
the  Vertebrates  of  Northern  United  States,  page  333,  in  which  he  gives  the 
habitat  as  "  North  Atlantic,  south  to  N.  J."  He  probably  meant  South 
Atlantic,  north  to  N.  J.  As  Mr.  True  is  stated  by  Jordan  in  the  preface  to 
have  "  revised  "  his  "  Cetaceans,"  I  conclude  that  "  N.  J."  is  considered  by 
that  gentleman  within  its  range.  Cope,  in  the  Proc.  A.  N.  S.,  1865,  p.  201, 
under  "  D.  clymene  Gray,"  records  a  "  specimen  in  the  Museum  of  the 
Academy  from  off  New  Jersey,  presented  by  John  Krider."  This  I  have  just 
examined  and  it  appears  to  be  Prodelphinus  plagiodon.  If  so  it  is  the  only 
N.  J.  record  known  to  me.  Dr.  True,  who  recently  examined  it,  finds  this 
skull  to  be  identical  with  Gray's  figure  of  P.  euphrosyne.  In  this  opinion  I 
concur. 


20  MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

Remarks  on  habits,  characters,  etc. — In  the  second  reference  made  at  the 
head  of  this  article  True  concludes  this  species  is  distinct  from  P.  doris 
(Gray.)  The  specimens  he  describes  were  taken,  one  in  1884,  at  Pensacola, 
Fla.,  the  other  at  Cape  Hatteras,  later.  Both  were  males,  and  he  considers 
them  the  "most  beautiful  cetacean  he  ever  examined,"  distinguished  from 
D.  delphis  by  the  spotted  gray  body  and  the  less  falcate  dorsal  fin.  The 
schools  seen  were  very  numerous  at  both  localities.  The  organs  of  the 
Florida  specimen  showed  that  May  and  June  was  the  rutting  season.  The 
length  is  6  feet,  the  height  of  dorsal  fin  9^  inches.  The  form  of  head  and 
body  is  like  D.  delphis. 

Genus  Phocana  Cuvier,  Regne  Animal,  Vol.  I,  1817,  p.  279. 
Harbor  Porpoise  ;  Herring  Hog;  Phocana  phocana  (Linnaeus). 

1758.  Delphinus phocana  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  77. 

1888.  Phocczna  phocana  Jordan,  Manual  Vert.  Animals  of  Nor.  U.  States,. 

P-  33i. 

Type  locality. — Coast  of  Europe. 

Faunal  distribution. — North  Pacific  Ocean,  Atlantic  Ocean  from  Baffin's 
Bay  to  France  and  Maryland ;  ascending  bays  and  rivers,  sometimes  far 
above  tidewater  limits. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Abundant  on  the  seaboard,  and  in  the  bays 
and  inlets  of  N.  J.,  coming  within  the  limits  of  Penna.  in  Delaware  Bay  and 
River  as  far  up  as  Trenton  Falls.  Sometimes  ascends  the  Raritan  and 
Passaic  Rivers  and  is  a  frequent  visitor  in  New  York  Bay  and  the  Hudson 
River  beyond  the  Northern  border  of  N.  J. 

Habits,  etc. — This  is  pre-eminently  a  shore  and  river  species,  delighting  in 
the  surf  of  sandy  beaches  and  following  the  shoals  of  herring  and  other  fish 
from  the  bays  into  rivers  and  freshwater  shoals  scarcely  deep  enough  to  give 
them  cover.  It  is  known  from  other  porpoises  and  dolphins  by  the  clumsy 
rounded  head  (lacking  a  "beak  "),  and  by  the  stout  form  and  uniform  dusky 
coloration.  It  is  a  small  animal,  averaging  about  5  feet  in  length.  Dr.  God- 
man,  who  gives  a  most  ample  and  graphic  account  ot  the  dolphin  in  our  har- 
bors, says  he  has  not  seen  the  porpoise.  Either  he  was  mistaken  in  his 
identification  or  else  the  relative  abundance  of  the  two  has  since  then  be- 
come reversed. 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.,  Delaware  River. — "  Occasionally  ascends  the 
Del.  R.  to  within  the  limits  of  [Delaware]  Co." — J.  Cassin,  List  of  Quad,  in 
"  Hist.  Del.  Co.,  Pa.,"  1862,  Appx. 

See  Cope's  Phoccena  lineata.  9  Type  taken  in  N.  Y.  harbor  in  1876,  and 
descr.  by  Cope  from  spec,  now  in  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Cat.  No.  12,481,. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY.  21 

P.phocasna,  See  Proc.  A.  N.  S.,  1876,  p.  134.     See  True,  Mon.  Delph.  ad  9 
Cape  May,  No.  13,359,  rec'd  Dec.  27,  1881. 

The  type  specimen  of  Phocana  lineata  Cope,  which  True  considers  the 
same  as  communis  was  taken  in  our  limits,  in  New  York  harbor  in  1876. 
True  records  two  from  Cape  May  in  the  National  Museum. — Nos.  16,610,  (a 
female),  and  13,359.  "They  have  been  seen  in  the  Delaware  as  high  up  as 
Trenton  and  are  common  in  the  Hudson  north  of  the  New  Jersey  State  line." 
— Abbott,  in  Geol.  N.  J.,  p.  760. 


Genus  Grampus  Gray,  Spicilegia  Zooiogia,  1828,  p.  2. 
Grampus;  Cow  Fish.      Grampus  griseus  (Cuvier). 

1812.  Delphinus  griseus  Cuvier,  Annals,  de  Museum,  Vol.  19,  p.  14,  pi.  i, 
fig.  i. 

1889.  Grampus  griseus  True,  Bulletin  U.  S.  National  Museum,  No.  36, 
p.  125. 

Type  locality, — Bay  St.  Brieux,  France  (English  Channel). 

Faunal  distribution. — North  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans,  Mediterranean. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Known  only  from  the  coast  of  N.  J. 

Habits,  etc. — This  species  associates  with  the  black-fish  and  is  rare  in  N. 
England  waters  and  more  so  on  the  N.  J.  coast,  while  the  black-fish 
(Globicephala  brachyptei a)  is  abundant.  It  is  12  to  15  feet  long,  has  no 
upper  teeth,  about  10  in  the  lower  jaw,  the  head  high,  short  and  rounded; 
the  color  bluish-black,  variegated  with  irregular  gray  streaks  and  cloudings, 
beneath  white.  They  can  only  mash  and  swallow  their  food,  owing  to 
absence  of  functional  teeth. 

Records  in  N.J. — Atlantic  Co. —  (i)  Atlantic  City,  stranded  Feb.  2,  1887. 
—True,  Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  No.  36,  1889,  p.  183.— (2)  Brigantine  Beach, 
Mch.  31,  1895,  female,  Photo,  in  U.  S.  N.  M.— True. 

Genus   Globicephala  Lesson   (Oeuvres  Compl.  de  Buffon,  1828,  Vol.  i,  fide 
Agassiz),  Noveau  Tableau  du  Regne  Animal,  1842,  p.  200. 

Northern  Blackfish ;  Pilot  Whale.     Globicephala  me/as  (Traill). 

1809.  Delphinus  melas  Traill,  Nicholson's  Journal,  Vol.  22,  p.  81. 

1842.   Globicephalus  melas  De  Kay,  Zoology  of  N.  York,  Mammalia,  p.  132. 

Type  locality. — Coast  of  England. 

Faunal  distribution. — North  Atlantic  Ocean ;  south-west  to  Long  Island, 
and  the  N.  J.  coast ;  south-eastward  along  the  coasts  of  the  British  Isles. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Occasionally  reaching  the  coasts  of  N.  J. 
in  their  wanderings  southward. 


22  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

Habits,  etc. — One  of  the  most  abundant  and  valuable  of  the  small  whales 
of  the  northeast  coast  of  N.  Ameica.  They  average  about  15  feet  long,  some- 
times reaching  over  20  feet,  weighing  about  1,000  Ibs.,  and  yielding  3  to  5 
barrels  of  oil.  The  "porpoise  jaw  oil"  from  this  whale  is  of  fine  quality  for 
delicate  machinery.  The  flesh  is  good  food  and  much  used  for  bait.  They 
do  not  play  like  the  porpoise,  but  often  rise  to  blow  and  move  leisurely  along 
unless  they  are  pursued  by  "  Killers  "  ( Orcina}  or  whalers,  when  they  may 
be  driven  in  great  numbers,  on  the  beach  and  are  generally  thus  captured. 
They  feed  on  menhaden,  herring,  mackerel  and  squids,  and  give  birth  to 
their  young  in  August.  At  birth  these  are  5  to  7  feet  long.  In  winter  they 
are  absent  from  our  shores,  returning  in  June.  The  color  is  black  without 
spots,  a  short  narrow  white  area  on  belly.  The  head  is  short,  rounded,  and 
the  forehead  very  high,  rising  at  right  angles  from  the  end  of  snout.  The 
lateral  fins  are  remarkably  shaped,  like  a  long,  curved  cutlass  blade.  The 
teeth  number  8  to  12  in  each  jaw,  and  are  small,  becoming  lost  in  old  age. 

Records  in  N.J. — "Atlantic  coast  of  N.America  to  N.Jersey." — True, 
Bull.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  No.  36,  1889,  p.  184. 

Ocean  Co. — A  skull  of  this  species,  No.  3,014,  from  Long  Beach,  is  in  the 
Museum  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Southern  Blackfish.     Globicephala  brachyptera  Cope. 

1876.  Globiocephalus  brachypterus  Cope,  Proceedings  of  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  p.  129. 

Type  locality. — Delaware  Bay,  Maurice  River  Cove,  N.  J. 

Fauna/  distribution. — Southeastern  Atlantic  Ocean,  from  N.  J.  to  the  West 
Indies. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Delaware  Bay;  along  the  southern  N.  J. 
coast,  northward,  possibly  to  Sandy  Hook,  where  it  would  overlap  the 
southern  range  of  G.  melas. 

Habits,  etc. — So  far  as  known,  the  southern  blackfish  behaves  like  its  north- 
ern kinsman.  It  is  distinguished  by  the  relatively  broader,  shorter  skull, 
resembling  G.  scammoni  of  the  Pacific  seas.  The  dorsal  fin  is  much  nearer 
the  head  than  in  scammoni.  The  pectoral  fins  are  shorter  and  the  teeth 
fewer,  while  the  premaxillar  bones  are  wider  and  the  animal  is  without  any 
white  markings,  being  solid  black.  The  length  is  15  to  18  feet. 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.,  Cape  May  Co. — Hereford  Inlet,  recorded  July, 
1891. — True,  1902. 

Cumberland  Co. — "  A  female  of  this  genus  was  taken  by  fishermen  in 
February  of  the  present  year  [1876]  at  the  mouth  of  Maurice  River,  and  was 
sent  to  this  city  [Philadelphia]  where  it  fell  under  my  observation." — Cope, 
sup.  cit.  A  previous  specimen,  a  skull,  from  the  west  shore  of  Delaware  Bay 
(in  Delaware)  was  recorded  by  Cope  in  1866. — See  P.  A.  N.  S.,  1866,  p.  7. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  23 

Genus  Orcinus  Fitzinger,  Wissen.  —  Populare  Naturgeschichte.  Sau- 
gethiere,  1860,  vol.  6,  pp.  204-217. 

White-bellied  Killer.     Orcinus  orca  (Linnaeus). 

1758.  Delphinus  orca  Linnaeus  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  77. 

1899.  Orcinus  orca  Palmer,  Proceedings  Biological  Society,  Washington, 
vol.  13,  p.  24. 

Type  locality. — Coast  of  Europe. 

Faunal  distribution. — Found  in  all  seas.  Probably  most  abundant  in  sub- 
arctic and  temperate  waters. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Along  the  New  Jersey  coast. 

Habits,  etc.— The  notorious  killer  whale,  the  only  cannibal  of  its  order, 
combines  enormous  strength  and  ferocity  with  a  comparatively  small  size  as 
contrasted  with  that  of  the  100  foot  whales  which  they  hunt  and  destroy 
like  packs  of  wolves.  Their  length  is  about  20  feet,  though  often  longer ; 
their  jaws  are  wide  and  set  with  about  24  very  large,  stout  teeth  with  conical 
recurved  crowns  and  large  roots,  very  unlike  those  of  the  rest  of  the  Delphi- 
nidcz.  The  back-fin  is  like  a  sharp-pointed  dagger,  of  great  length,  and  set 
almost  at  right  angles  to  the  body.  It  has  erroneously  been  thought  by  some 
a  weapon  of  offense  and  destruction  in  "  ripping  "  whales.  Scammon  calls 
them  "wolves  of  the  ocean"  in  their  manner  of  worrying  the  largest  whales, 
in  packs.  They  also  seize  dead  whales  which  are  being  towed  ashore  by 
whalemen  and  quickly  descend  with  them  into  the  deep  beyond  recovery. 
They  are  the  only  whales  which  eat  mammalia,  not  only  devouring  the  largest 
fish,  but  seals  and  all  other  dolphins,  porpoises,  and  large  whales  are  the  main 
objects  of  their  gluttonous  rapine.  Though  the  old  walrus  is  safe  from  them, 
the  young  are  greedily  eaten.  When  they  seek  safety  on  the  parent's  back, 
the  killer  dives  and  rams  its  nose  against  the  dam,  throwing  off  the  calf  and 
seizing  it  in  a  twinkling.  From  the  maw  of  one  of  these  killers  Eschricht 
states  that  13  porpoises  and  14  seals  were  extracted.  This  was  an  Atlantic 
Orcinus  only  16  feet  long.  They  are  the  terror  of  all  dolphins,  driving  whole 
schools  of  these  and  of  fish  upon  the  sand  of  our  bays.  The  color  is  black 
above,  white  beneath,  a  patch  of  white  behind  eye  and  on  back  near  fin. 

Records  in  N.  /.—While  often  found  off  the  N.  J.  coast  there  seem  to  be 
no  records  of  its  stranding  or  being  captured.  I  have  seen  them  in  packs  of 
4  or  6  slowly  trailing  near  the  surface  with  the  high  dorsal  fin  standing 
straight  out  of  the  water  a  distance  of  nearly  2  feet.  This  on  the  coast 
near  Beach  Haven,  N.  J.,  and  also  near  Atlantic  City.  It  is  thought  by 
bathers  to  be  a  shark.  I  have  not  heard  of  their  being  man-eaters. — 
Rhoads,  1902. 


24  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Order  UNGULATA  ;   Hoofed  Mammals. 

Family  CERVID/E — Deer. 

Genus  Odocoileus  Rafinesque,  Atlantic  Journal.  1832,  vol.  i,  p.  109. 
Virginia  Deer.      Odocolieus  americanus  (Erxleben). 

i?77-  \_Cervus  dama]  americanus  Erxleben,  Systema  Regni.  Animal,  vol. 
i,  p.  312. 

1899.  Odocoileus  americanus  Miller,  Bulletin  N.  York  State  Museum,  vol. 
6,  p.  299. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Virginia. 

Faunal  distribution. — Lowlands,  east  of  the  Mississippi,  from  southern 
New  York  and  Michigan  to  South  Carolina  and  Louisiana. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Originally  abounding  in  all  situations  com- 
prised in  the  lower  Transition  and  Upper  Austral  life  zones,  now  confined  in 
its  typical  form  to  limited  areas  in  southern  N.  J. ;  the  deer  yet  found  in 
Pennsylvania  being  practically  restricted  to  the  Canadian  form,  Odocoileus 
americanus  borealis. 

Records  in  Pa. — As  above  stated,  the  typical  Virginia  deer  once  found 
in  the  valleys  and  lowlands  of  the  Susquehanna,  Allegheny,  Monongahela  and 
Delaware  river  regions  is  exterminated.  The  nearest  approach  to  this  type 
of  deer  in  Pa.  may  yet  be  found  in  the  Pocono  and  South  Mountain  regions, 
for  records  of  which  see  under  O.  a.  borealis. 

Records  in  N.  J.,  Atlantic  Co. — "  I  was  born  in  Atlantic  County  and  lived 
there  more  than  20  years.  The  southern  part  of  Atlantic  County  and  the 
northern  part  of  Cape  May  Co.  are  still  famous  places  for  deer.  I  have 
known  of  three  or  four  being  killed  there  every  year  that  the  law  permits. 
As  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  judge  from  my  travels  through  the  southern 
part  of  the  state,  the  Virginia  deer  is  practically  confined  to  those  2  counties. 
It  seems  most  abundant  along  the  Great  Egg  Harbor  River,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Tuckahoe,  Estelville,  May's  Landing  and  English  Creek.  Hunters 
from  all  other  parts  of  south  Jersey  come  there  to  hunt  for  deer." — Prof. 
Gifford  in  letter  dated  Feb.  4, 190 1.  A  doe  with  2  fawns  was  chased  into  the 
village  of  Mary's  Landing  in  the  summer  of  1893  and  killed  herself  by  being 
impaled  on  an  iron  fence. — Gifford.  Regularly  hunted  and  killed  in  Atlantic 
Co.  Rarely  driven  north  of  the  W.  Jersey  and  Seashore  R.  R. — Price. 
About  1 8  or  20  deer  were  killed  this  season  [Fall  1901],  mostly  between 
"  Head  of  Tuckahoe  Riv.  and  Milmay  and  Egg  Harbor  City.  They  are 
hunted  with  dogs  exclusively.  Weather  being  dry  many  were  started  and 
lost.  The  3  years  close  season  was  a  great  benefit." — Hand. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  25 

Burlington  Co.— "Zebulon  Collins  used  to  trap  deer  on  'The  Plains.' 
About  as  late  as  1873  to  1875  deer  were  plenty  on  the  east  and  west  '  Plains ' 
in  the  lower  part  of  Burl.  Co.  Half  Way  and  Cedar  Bridge  were  head- 
quarters for  hunts.  The  old  hunters  with  me  were  Judge  Burr,  of  Vincen- 
town,  Miller  Howard  and  Theodore  Creamer,  old  residents  of  '  The  Plains,' 
also  Zeb.  Collins,  Jos.  Adams  and  Nick.  Levy,  all  dead  before  this."— Coffin 
(extract  from  letters  written  in  1893  to  Rhoads).  "  I  saw  a  drove  of  12,  two 
full  antlered  bucks  among  them,  in  1878,  at  White  Oak  Cripple  in  Cumb. 
Co.  and  this  year  I  hunted  for  2  days  with  John  Pirn  for  a  guide  and  did  not 
find  a  trace  or  track.  The  woodchoppers  .  .  .  kill  deer  in  June.  No  law 
can  restrict  them.  I  saw  two  heads  bought  by  a  peddler  in  August,  sold  to 
and  mounted  by  a  Trenton  dealer.  I  saw  no  deer  that  had  been  killed  [this 
season]  and  heard  of  but  three.  I  regard  the  story  of  14  shot  in  Atlantic  Co. 
as  a  tavern  keeper's  yarn.  I  don't  believe  there  are  50  deer  in  the  counties 
of  Cumberland  and  Cape  May." — James  Levy,  of  Phila.  (extracts  from  an 
interview  published  in  the  Phila.  Times,  Dec.,  1894).  ' 

Cape  May  Co. — "The  big  pines  around  Tuckahoe  used  to  be  a  sure  find, 
but  I  have  not  heard  of  one  being  seen  there  this  year." — Levy,  supra. 
(1894.)  "  Attempts  were  made  to  [preserve]  the  deer  and -one  of  the  last 
parks  to  remain  was  that  of  Daniel  Ludlam,  of  Dennisville,  which  was  main- 
tained until  well  into  the  present  century." — Lee,  historic  account. 

Monmouth  Co. — "Charles  O'Hogen  killed  a  buck  deer,  the  first  deer  that 
has  been  killed  in  Monmouth  Co.  in  many  years.  The  buck  was  tracked 
early  this  morning  (Nov.  10,  1896)  on  the  outskirts  of  the  Oceanville  roads 
and  was  shot  at  twice  by  gunners  who  sighted  it  in  the  Oceanville  swamps. 
The  shots  frightened  the  deer  and  he  crossed  the  Solomon  Maps  pond  and  ran 
to  Oakhurst."  O'Hogen  shot  the  buck  as  it  came  running  down  the  main 
street  of  Oakhurst,  passing  within  10  feet  of  where  he  chanced  to  be  standing 
with  a  shot-gun  in  his  hand.  See  Phila.  Times,  Nov.  n,  1896. 

Southern  N.  J.  in  general. — Deer  range  over  lower  half  of  Ocean  and 
upper  portion  of  Atlantic  Cos. — Pharo.  Some  remain  in  Burlington,  Atlantic, 
Cape  May  and  Ocean  Cos.  Two  only  known  to  be  killed  in  Burl,  and 
Ocean  Cos.  in  1898  out  of  22  killed  in  South  Jersey.  Season  closed  from 
1898  to  1901. — Van  Note.  Still  found  in  upper  Cape  May  Co.  Also  in 
Cumberland  and  Atlantic  Cos.  Between  20  and  25  were  killed  in  the  fall  of 
1898. — Hand.  In  Monmouth,  Burlington,  Cumberland  and  Cape  May 
Counties  (these  then  included  Ocean  and  Atlantic  Cos.)  "multitudes  are 
killed.  Ten  or  twelve  are  sometimes  started  in  a  single  drive." — See 
Doughty's  Cabinet  of  N.  History,  1832.  Several  were  killed  in  the  Tuckahoe 
region  in  fall  of  1901. — Rhoads. 

Historical  notes  furnished  by  F.  B.  Lee. — In  Samuel  Smith's  Hist.  Novo 
Csesarea,  1765,  p.  502  et  seq.,  deer  are  recorded  as  very  plentiful,  generally 


26  MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

bringing  forth  2  fawns  at  a  time,  and  "  great  numbers  are  destroyed  by  traps 
and  hunting,  by  panthers,  wild  cats  and  sometimes  wolves."  Smith  dep- 
recates the  use  of  the  "  enormous  iron  trap  "  for  deer,  their  "  enormous  wide 
jaws  of  destruction  being  abhorrent  to  the  common  principles  of  humanity." 
Laws  were  ineffectually  directed  against  these  and  also  against  "  the  practice 
of  setting  sharp  stakes  and  loaded  guns  .  .  .  common  nuisances  to  man- 
kind." In  1758,  Cape  May  Co.,  though  sparsely  populated,  was  stated  in 
Jacob  Spicer's  diary  to  have  a  trade  in  deer  skins  and  venison  hams  worth 
120  pounds  sterling.  The  early  colonists,  unable  to  secure  cattle,  endeavored 
to  domesticate  deer  for  a  supply  of  milk,  but  without  success.  In  1771  deer 
were  becoming  scarce  enough  to  claim  the  attention  of  the  lawmakers.  An 
act  was  passed  Dec.  2ist  providing  that  if  any  one  "  shall  kill  destroy  or  take 
any  Roe  Buck,  Fawn  or  any  sorts  of  Deere  "  between  January  i  and  Septem- 
ber i,  he  was  to  pay  40  shillings.  Hunting  on  the  Colony's  unimproved 
land  was  limited  to  voters  for  Representatives  in  the  General  Assembly  or 
their  sons  being  18  years  of  age.  Traps  were  limited  in  size  to  those  set  for 
foxes.  Penalties  were  named  for  the  setting  of  a  loaded  gun  and  for  watch- 
ing for  deer  at  night  near  a  road.  In  1772  an  act  was  passed  specially  pre- 
serving the  deer  of  Morris  County,  particularly  those  remaining  in  Great 
Swamp. 

Habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  next  species. 

Northern  Virginia  Deer.      Odocoileus  americanus  borealis  Miller. 

1900.  Odocoileus  americanus  borealis  Miller,  Bulletin  N.  York  State  Mu- 
seum, Vol.  8,  p.  83. 

Type  locality. — Bucksport,  Maine. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian  zone  of  eastern  N.  America. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Once  abounding,  but  now  sparsely 
scattered  or  locally  exterminated,  in  the  upper  Transition  and  lower  Cana- 
dian life  zones.  Now  found,  if  ever,  in  New  Jersey,  as  a  straggler  only. 
Probably  most  numerous  in  the  Pocono  and  South  Mountain  regions. 

Records  in  Pa. — Adams  Co. — "In  fall  and  winter  of  1892,32  deer  were 
killed  legitimately  within  a  radius  of  10  miles  among  the  Adams  and  Frank- 
lin Co.  Mountains.  In  1895  over  5°  were  taken,  and  probably  as  many 
more  by  pot-hunters  and  dogs  out  of  season.  In  the  fall  of  1896  fifteen  were 
killed  between  Graefensburg,  Buchanan's  Valley  and  Pine  Grove  in  Cumber- 
land Co.,  in  the  South  Mountain  region." — Strealy. 

Cambria  Co. — "A  few  remain." — Shields,  1901. 

Carbon  Co. — Stray  into  Wilkesbarre  Mtn.,  Luzerne  Co.,  from  Pine  Swamp, 
Kidder  Twp.,  and  headwaters  of  Lehigh  in  Coolbaugh  and  Tobyhanna  Twps., 
Monroe  Co. ;  28  killed  in  1898. — Stocker. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  27 

Centre  Co. — Fairly  abundant  in  Centre  Co. — Fernald,  1900. 

Clinton  Co. — "  Increasing  here.  I  have  heard  of  20  being  killed  this  fall 
(1900)  in  this  Co." — Pfoutz.  Gradually  decreasing  in  numbers,  but  by  their 
tracks  in  the  mountains  north  of  Round  Island  would  estimate  that  10  or  15 
range  over  three  square  miles  in  that  vicinity.  An  adult  buck  and  doe  and 
two  yearlings  were  seen  separately  in  various  tramps  covering  a  period  of  one 
week  in  the  range  in  the  fall  of  1898.— Rhoads.  I  killed  23  deer  in  the  fall 
season  of  1873  (in  the  vicinity  of  Round  Island). — Nelson. 

Columbia  Co. — A  few  killed  yearly  north  of  Fishing  Creek  in  the  North 
Mountain. — Buckalew,  1 900. 

Crawford  Co. — Exterminated  in  this  Co.,  save  possibly  in  Sparta  Twp. 
None  killed  in  1898. — Kirkpatrick. 

Cumberland  Co. — See  under  Adams  Co.,  1.  c. 

Elk  Co. — Not  over  24  captured  in  1898.     Much  scattered. — Luhr. 

Forest  Co. — Numerous.  Ten  killed  near  Tionesta  in  November,  1898. — 
Zendle.  Fifty  killed  in  Forest  Co.  in  winter  of  iSgS-g. — Haslet.  Heard  of 
20  killed  in  the  Co.  in  the  winter  of  1898— '9.  From  500  to  600  were  com- 
monly killed  yearly  between  1868  and  1878. — Irwin. 

Franklin  Co. — See  above,  under  Adams  Co. 

Fulton  Co. — Licking  Creek  township  was  considered  one  of  the  best  hunt- 
ing grounds  for  deer  by  the  hunters  of  Fulton,  Huntingdon  and  Bedford 
Counties  in  1896. — Ingersoll,  1896. 

Huntingdon  Co. — Found  near  Mt.  Union  in  1896. — Ingersoll. 

Lackawanna  Co. — About  exterminated. — Friant,  1900. 

Lancaster  Co. — One  was  captured  in  the  borough  (now  city)  of  Columbia 
in  1831.— See  Doughty's  Cab.  Nat.  Hist.,  1832,  vol.  i,  p.  285. 

Luzerne  Co. — Five  brought  to  Pittston  in  fall  of  1899.  Most  often  found 
in  the  North  Mountain  region. — Campbell. — See  also  under  Carbon  Co. 

Ly coming  Co. — Have  increased  in  the  last  3  years  (1896  to  1898)  in  the 
Loyalsock  Creek  grounds. — Parker,  1899. 

McKean  Co. — I  know  of  only  4  being  killed  during  the  winter  of  igoo-'oi 
near  Colegrove. — Dickeson. 

Mifflin  Co. — I  hunted  in  Mifflin  Co.  the  winter  of  1898  and  knew  of  8 
killed  there. — Cleveland. 

Monroe  Co. — Present  range  in  N.  W.  Twps.  of  our  Co.;  4  killed  in  1898. 
— Bisbing.  See  also  under  Carbon  Co. 

Pike  Co. — Numerous  in  Pike  Co.  About  30  killed  there  in  1898. — 
Friant.  The  Co.  (Milford)  newspaper  published  a  list  of  the  deer  killed  in 
1893  numbering  140. — See  Rhoads  in  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  1894,  p.  388.  Pike 
Co.  harbors  most  of  the  deer  of  northeastern  Pa.  From  25  to  40  killed  there 
in  the  fall  of  1898. — Stevens. 

Potter  Co. — Some  remain;  very  few  killed  in  1898. — Austin. 


28  MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

Somerset  Co. — Scarce.  No  knowledge  of  any  killed  in  Co.  last  season, 
1898. — Moore. 

Sullivan  Co. — Range  all  over  this  Co.,  but  quite  rare  now  (1900).  Heard 
of  6  or  8  killed  in  this  and  Wyoming  Cos.  this  season;  15  would  probably 
include  all  taken.  A  buck  was  sent  to  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  from 
here,  shot  2  miles  east  of  Ricketts'  near  Wyoming  Co.  line  in  1891. — Behr, 
1902. 

Tioga  Co. — Very  few  left  in  Tioga  Co. — Babcock.  Hunters  killed  three 
in  the  Canton  region  in  1898. — Cleveland. 

Union  Co. — Increasing  in  the  Allegheny  Mts.  of  the  northwest  border. 
Several  killed  in  1898. — Chambers. 

Venango  Co. — "As  many  here  in  1900  as  there  were  15  years  ago.  Many 
more  than  7  years  ago.  Twenty- seven  killed  in  1897.  Hounding  not 
tolerated." — Dorworth,  1900. 

Wayne  Co. — Very  scarce.  A  few  remain  along  the  Delaware  River. — 
Kellew.  Almost  extinct. — Day. 

Westmoreland  Co. — Practically  exterminated.  None  killed  for  several 
years. — Rhoads,  1899. 

Wyoming  Co. — A  few  left;  only  2  killed  in  fall  1900. — Robinson.  Range 
in  S.  W.  part  of  Co. — Behr.  Mehoopany  Creek  is  their  haunt. — Campbell. 
See  above  under  Sullivan  Co. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Sussex  Co. — Long  since  exterminated  in  northern  N.  J., 
but  occasionally  driven  across  the  Delaware  into  Sussex  Co.  from  Pike  Co. 
by  dogs  and  hunters.  I  know  of  no  recent  records  of  this,  however. — 
Rhoads,  See  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  1897,  p.  25. 

Warren  Co. — "  Occasionally  seen  in  the  mountains  near  the  Water  Gap." 
— Davison,  1902.  Some  deer  straggle  into  the  mountains  and  rarely  shot. — 
Strickland,  1902. 

Habits,  etc. — The  following  brief  notes  regarding  the  northern  deer  as  seen 
in  Clinton  Co.,  Pa.,  were  given  by  Seth  Nelson  of  Round  Island. 

The  largest  number  of  points  ever  known  to  him  on  one  buck's  horn  was 
n,  21  in  all.  The  heaviest  bucks  weigh  200  Ibs.  dressed,  their  offal  weighing 
50  Ibs.,  the  average  buck  weighing  125  Ibs.  dressed,  and  the  average  doe  80 
Ibs.  Does  have  fawns  in  May,  rut  about  October  ist.  Some  velvet  may  re- 
main on  buck-horns  in  October.  The  does  oftener  have  2  than  i  fawn, 
sometimes  3.  They  go  to  a  thick  windfall  to  drop  young.  Fawns  are 
weaned  in  4  months  or  before  the  rutting  season.  They  stay  hid  where 
calved  2  or  3  weeks.  Twin  fawns  stay  together  all  their  first  winter.  More 
does  than  bucks  are  born.  In  the  rutting  season  i  buck  may  control  5  does, 
mostly  3.  He  shot  one  doe  with  spike  horns  2  inches  long.  In  spring  deer 
feed  on  wintergreen,  tree  mosses,  partridge  berry,  buds  of  trees  and  bushes, 


o 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  29 

"  red  root,"  a  broad-leaved  grass  and  tender  lichen  and  ferns.  In  the  fall, 
buckberry,  chestnuts,  acorns,  beech-nuts  and  rhododendron  form  the  bulk  of 
their  food.  In  winter,  on  dead  oak  leaves,  buds,  sweet  fern.  When  the  snow 
crusts  they  gather  in  herds  and  make  paths  in  high  laurel  and  thick  hemlock 
timber. 

Description  of  species, — The  northeastern  deer  is  a  larger  animal  than  the 
Virginia  deer,  with  heavier,  coarser  horns  and  teeth,  and  showing  a  great 
contrast  between  the  "red"  summer  and  "gray"  winter  coats.  In  the 
southern  deer  the  summer  and  winter  coats  are  not  so  contrasted,  always  re- 
taining the  reddish  cast.  No  measurements  are  now  available  that  would 
give  a  proper  idea  of  the  average  differences  in  size. 

Genus  Cervus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  66. 
Eastern  Wapiti,  or  "Elk."     Cervus  canadensis  (Erxleben). 

J777'  \_Cenms  elaphus~\   canadensis  Erxleben,  Syst.  Regn.  Anim.,  Vol.  i, 

P-  305. 

1822.   Cervus  canadensis  Desmarest,  Mammalogie,  Vol.  2,  p.  433. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian  and  Transition  zones,  sometimes  descend- 
ing into  the  Upper  Austral. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Numerous  up  to  the  beginning  of  the 
1 9th  century  in  the  entire  Pa.  Alleghenian  mountain  system  east  of  the 
Allegheny  River ;  rare  in  the  Blue  Ridge  and  Cumberland  ranges ;  once 
numerous  on  the  Pocono  plateau.  Driven  occasionally  by  stress  of  weather, 
beasts  of  prey  and  man  into  the  lowlandb  of  the  southern  Allegheny,  Susque- 
hanna  and  Delaware  River  valleys,  and  the  highlands  of  northern  New  Jersey, 
where,  in  early  historic  times,  it  may  have  voluntarily  made  its  habitat  at  cer- 
tain seasons.  Now  extinct  in  our  limits.  Numerous  localities  in  Pennsylva- 
nia bearing  the  name  of  "  Elk  "  in  various  combinations,  indicate  that  it  was 
formerly  known  either  as  an  abundant  resident  or  as  a  straggler  in  nearly 
every  part  of  the  state.  Its  remains  show  that  it  was  formerly  found  in  the 
Delaware  Valley  as  far  south  as  Bucks  Co.*  in  Penna.,  and  Mercer  Co.  in 
N.  J.,  during  the  existence  there  of  aboriginal  man.  (See  list  of  fossil 
species.) 

Habits,  etc. — The  favorite  haunts  of  the  Alleghenian  wapiti  in  Pennsylvania 
were  the  forest-covered  mountain  elevations  where  open  glades  or  savannas 
and  old  beaver  meadows  were  surrounded  by  the  primeval  forest.  Where 
these  features  were  combined  in  the  vicinity  of  a  "  lick  "  or  saline  spring  the 

*  The  Durham  Cave,  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.  remains  are  probably  recent,  but  may  have 
belonged  more  properly  to  Postpliocene  age. 


30  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

greatest  numbers  of  these  animals  congregated,  and  it  was  in  such  localities 
that  the  last  representatives  of  this  noble  deer  vainly  sought  to  escape  their 
final  destruction.  From  accounts  received  from  numerous  correspondents  it 
appears  that  the  "  Flag  Swamp,"  situated  in  the  eastern  part  of  Elk  Co.,  near 
the  Cameron  Co.  line,  and  forming  one  of  the  headwaters  of  Bennett's  Branch 
of  the  Susquehanna  on  the  east  and  of  a  branch  of  the  Clarion  River  on  the 
west,  was  the  last  refuge  of  the  wapiti  in  Pennsylvania.  A  few  are  recorded 
as  living  there  in  1850  in  a  History  of  Elk  County  of  that  date.  Between  the 
dates  of  1860  and  1867  I  have  secured  records  of  the  capture  of  two  or  three 
which  are  each  claimed  to  be  the  last  taken  in  the  state.  To  one  of  these 
undoubtedly  that  distinction  belongs,  so  far  as  can  be  discovered.  The  one 
recorded  by  Roosevelt  for  1869  is  the  same  as  the  one  stated  by  Capt.  Clay 
to  have  been  killed  in  1866  (see  records).  It  is  probably  the  same  as  the 
one  stated  in  the  Utica  Globe  article  to  have  been  killed  by  an  Indian  in 
1867,  and  in  the  History  of  Elk  Co.  the  same  date  is  given  for  its  extinction 
in  that  county,  reference  no  doubt  being  made  to  the  same  individual.  This 
"Flag  Swamp  Elk,"  taken  in  November,  1867,  in  Elk  Co.,  by  an  Indian  of 
the  Cattaraugus  reservation  named  Jim  Jacobs,  appears  to  have  been  the  last 
of  its  race  in  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  unless  it  shall  be  proved  that  some 
existed  later  in  the  mountain  wilds  of  West  Virginia.  In  the  northeastern 
Alleghenies  of  Sullivan,  Luzerne  and  Wyoming  counties  they  seem  to  have 
totally  disappeared  in  the  second  decade  of  the  igth  century,  although  a  few- 
remained  in  a  favorite  haunt  called  "Elk  Forest"  in  the  Pocono  range  of 
Wayne  Co.  until  exterminated  between  1830  and  '40.  In  Tioga,  Lycoming 
and  Potter  counties  they  haunted  the  headwaters  of  Pine  Creek  and  the  Black 
Forest  until  1862,  when  the  last  was  killed.  The  veteran  pioneer,  Mr. 
Austin,  saw  their  tracks  as  late  as  1857  in  Potter  Co.,  and  near  the  same  time 
a  party  of  hunters  captured  3  alive  in  Tioga  Co.  In  Somerset  and  Bedford 
counties,  where  the  mountain  glades  and  saline  or  sulphur  springs  were  sought 
out  by  numerous  bands  of  wapiti  and  buffalo  in  early  colonial  times,  their  exter- 
mination must  have  been  of  very  early  date,  as  records  of  them  in  these  locali- 
ties seem  to  rest  upon  place-names  and  tradition.  (See  note  under  Somerset 
Co.)  Even  more  obscure  is  the  evidence  of  their  former  occurrence  in  the 
southwestern  counties  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  the  parts  of  New  Jersey  per- 
taining to  the  valley  of  the  upper  Delaware.  Elk  View,  Elk  Mills  and  Elk 
Creek  in  Chester  Co.,  and  Elk  River  in  Maryland,  are  names  whose  origin  I 
have  not  satisfactorily  traced,  but  indicate  the  former  presence  of  this  animal 
nearer  the  Atlantic  seaboard  than  anywhere  else  in  the  United  States.  From 
our  knowledge  of  the  partiality  of  the  wapiti  to  mountain  districts  it  is  very 
unlikely  that  it  ever  resided  permanently  in  Chester  Co.  Kalm  and  one  or 
two  historians  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  record  them  in 
southeastern  Penna.,  and  Kalm  relates  how  the  "  stags "  (as  distinguished 


MAMMALS  OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  31 

from  the  common  deer)  were  driven  down  from  the  mountains  into  the  vici- 
nity of  Philadelphia  and  killed  in  great  numbers  because  of  a  great  snow. 
Such  lowland  invasions  probably  account  for  the  place-names  we  have  men- 
tioned as  well  as  for  the  remains  of  this  animal  in  camp  and  village  sites  of  the 
aborigines  on  both  sides  of  the  Delaware  as  far  south  as  Trenton.  Not  only 
would  the  rigors  of  winter  drive  them  from  their  mountain  fastnesses,  but  the 
increased  persecutions  from  the  starving  wolves  and  of  the  Indians,  and  the 
freezing  of  the  Susquehanna  and  Delaware  Rivers,  would  induce  the  stricken 
creatures  to  scatter  over  areas  hitherto  unknown  to  them.  It  is  likely  that  at 
no  time  during  man's  existence  in  New  Jersey  was  the  wapiti  a  voluntary  resi- 
dent of  that  state  even  in  the  Kittatinny  range,  which  is  the  natural  continu- 
ation of  their  ancient  haunts  in  the  Blue  Ridge  and  in  its  northern  section 
was  in  easy  reach  of  a  hunted  wapiti  from  the  Pocono  region  seeking  to 
throw  its  pursuers  off  the  scent  in  the  waters  of  the  Delaware.  Only  as  a 
straggler,  therefore,  can  the  wapiti  be  considered  a  member  of  the  historic 
fauna  of  New  Jersey.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  the  accounts 
of  earliest  historians,  coupled  with  our  knowledge  of  the  wapiti  in  the  far  west, 
indicate  that  this  species  may  have  roamed  at  will  in  pre-Columbian  times 
over  almost  the  entire  region  included  in  this  paper. 

Regarding  the  habits  and  food  of  the  wapiti  it  may  be  stated  that  they  are 
similar  to  those  of  the  Virginia  deer  in  most  respects.  They  are,  however, 
more  addicted  to  keeping  in  companies  throughout  the  year  and,  like  the 
moose,  "yard  up"  during  the  season  of  deep  winter  snows.  The  males  cast 
their  horns  in  February  and  March  and  by  the  month  of  August  they  are 
again  renewed  in  all  their  perfection.  They  make  a  loud  whistling  snort 
when  alarmed,  and  during  the  rutting  season  the  bucks  utter  a  loud  note  of 
defiance  which  Godman  says  resembles  both  the  neighing  of  a  stallion  and 
the  bellowing  of  a  bull.  Caton  says  it  sounds  like  the  whistle  of  a  locomotive. 
The  young  females  give  birth  in  May  or  June  to  one  fawn,  the  older  ones 
generally  two,  and  rarely  three.  When  wounded,  the  wapiti  is  more  ready  to 
turn  on  its  pursuers  than  a  deer.  In  flight  they  pursue  a  straight  course  and 
will  sometimes  outstrip  the  chase  of  the  most  enduring  hunter  and  hounds  for 
two  or  three  successive  days. 

When  deprived  of  their  usual  winter  browse  of  elk  grass  and  brake  by  deep 
snow  they  subsist  for  months  on  the  buds  and  branches  of  such  trees  as  they 
would  not  touch  in  summer,  and  when  a  crusted  snow  prevents  them  from 
going  outside  their  yards  for  water  they  do  without  it  for  a  long  period. 

Among  the  favorite  trees  which  they  seek  to  eat  in  summer  is  one  called 
by  hunters  the  elkwood.*  This  they  attack,  not  only  devouring  the  leaves 

*  Also  called  the  moose  tree.  It  is  the  Acer  spicatum,  a  dwarf  species  of  maple  growing 
about  fifteen  feet  high  in  the  forests. 


32  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

and  twigs  but  denuding  it  of  bark.  By  this  means  their  whereabouts  are 
easily  detected,  the  peeled  saplings  forming  a  conspicuous  "  sign  "  for  the 
hunter.  Basswood  is  also  much  sought  after,  but  very  few  deciduous  trees 
come  amiss  at  any  season,  the  elk  being  a  most  omnivorous  and  hearty  feeder. 
Audubon  in  the  book  "  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,"  thus  speaks  of  a 
pair  which  he  had  in  captivity  (Vol.  2,  1851,  p.  yo)  :  "The  pair  from  which 
the  figures  on  our  plate  were  taken  we  purchased  at  Philadelphia.  They 
had  been  caught  when  youpg  in  the  western  part  of  Pennsylvania.  The  male 
was  supposed  to  be  four  or  five  years  old  and  the  female  also  was  full  grown. 
.  .  They  often  whistled  (as  the  hunters  call  this  remarkable  noise)  which 
in  calm  weather  can  be  heard  nearly  a  mile.  This  shrill  sound  appears  to  be 
produced  by  an  almost  spasmodic  effort,  during  which  the  animal  throws  its 
head  upwards  and  then  backwards."  Audubon  further  speaks  of  their  grega- 
rious habits,  congregating  to  the  number  of  50  to  100  in  a  herd  under  one 
master  buck,  whose  movements  are  closely  followed  by  the  whole  band, 
whether  in  flight  or  on  the  watch ;  easily  domesticated  and  living  to  a  great 
age,  even  25  or  30  years  in  captivity ;  lying  down  in  midday  and  feeding  be- 
fore sunrise  and  after  sunset.  Caton,  who  had  a  large  number  in  captivity, 
and  hunted  them  in  the  west,  gives  an  account  of  them  in  his  book  on  Amer- 
ican Deer,  from  which  the  following  points  may  be  summarized  :  The  fawn  is 
spotted  as  in  the  common  deer  :  in  wild,  undisturbed  country  not  a  nocturnal 
feeder;  more  polygamous  than  any  other  deer  except  the  Red  deer  of 
Europe ;  master  deer  of  the  herd  nearly  always  dangerous  in  captivity,  a  per- 
fect tyrant  during  the  rutting  season,  and  at  all  times  supremely  selfish  and 
abusive  ;  does  more  courageous  than  bucks  against  a  wild  enemy,  giving 
chase  in  a  body  and  striking  with  forefeet,  the  bucks  following  at  a  distance ; 
better  adapted  to  domestication  than  any  other  deer ;  more  healthy  and 
hearty  feeders,  eating  fodder  a  cow  or  horse  will  reject ;  young  feign  death, 
when  picked  up,  lying  limp  ;  follow  dam  in  2  days  after  birth,  unusually 
precocious  in  this  respect  as  compared  with  other  deer  ;  wallowing  in  summer 
like  the  bison  ;  natural  gait  a  trot,  very  rapid  and  continued  when  pursued  ; 
when  closely  pressed  into  a  run  soon  become  exhausted  ;  in  their  natural 
freedom  inhabiting  all  kinds  of  country  contiguous  to  woodland  or  forested, 
whether  mountain  or  plain,  ranging  from  above  timberline  10,000  to  12,000  ft. 
to  the  sea  level,  but  preferring  mountainous  regions,  from  which  they  never  stray 
a  great  distance  unless  from  hunger  or  enemies ;  not  as  tenacious  of  life  as 
deer,  an  ordinary  shot  soon  disabling  or  killing  them  ;  hide  of  little  economic 
value,  being  soft  and  pliable  as  in  other  deer  similarly  tanned,  but  of  little 
strength  and  durability  ;  meat  much  esteemed  ;  horns  used  by  the  Indians  as 
bows;  canine  or  fang  teeth  of  males  used  as  a  valued  ornament  or  charm. 

The  following  notes  by  my  valued  correspondent,  Mr.  E.   O.  Austin,  of 
Potter  Co.,  Pa.,  regarding  the  habits  of  the  wapiti  in  that  county  are  of  much 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  33 

interest.  Under  date  of  March  4th,  1901,  he  writes:  "I  settled  at  my 
present  residence,  now  in  the  borough  of  Austin,  in  1856,  then  a  perfect 
wilderness.  When  I  came  into  this  region,  a  young  man,  I  could  not  be 
surfeited  with  the  stories  told  by  old  settlers  and  hunters  as  to  what  they  had 
seen.  On  the  First  Fork  of  the  Sinnemahoning  near  Prouty  Run  [Potter 
Co.]  was  the  'Great  Elk  Lick'  of  this  region.  About  1835  or  '36  the  first 
settlers  came  into  this  region.  The  Elk  with  other  wild  creatures  then 
reigned  here  in  their  glory.  Clifford  Haskins,  Charles  Wykoff,  the  Jordans, 
and  John  Glasspy,  with  others,  were  among  the  prominent  men  of  the  time. 
They  were  all  settled  within  three  or  four  miles  of  this  lick.  They  all  told  me 
that  they  would  go  to  the  Elk-lick  to  get  a  deer  as  often  as  they  wanted  one 
in  the  summer  time.  Here  sometimes  50  or  more  could  be  seen  at  a  time, 
with  the  fawns  playing  around  like  young  lambs.  Cliff.  Hoskins  said  he  went 
there  once  to  get  a  deer  when  he  saw  several  Elk  in  the  lick  and  more  in  the 
clearing  around  it.  It  being  the  first  time  he  had  seen  Elk  there  he  gazed  in 
wonder,  when  more  came  in  until  40  or  50  had  congregated.  He  watched 
their  grim  play  for  some  time  and  then  shot  one.  The  rest  started  back,  then 
stamped  around  their  fallen  comrade  gazing  in  a  bewildered  way,  and  stam- 
peded with  the  noise  of  thunder  when  Hoskins  approached.  Aunt  Eleanor 
Wyckoff  lived  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Elk  Lick.  She  told  me  she  thought  her 
brother,  Mr.  Jordan,  was  telling  one  of  his  big  yarns  when  he  told  her  of  a 
similar  view  of  Elks,  but  one  day  after,  when  the  men  found  they  were  around 
again,  she  went  with  her  husband  to  see  them.  She  said  '  First  some  came, 
then  more,  until  the  clearing  seemed  full  of  them  and  the  men  said  there 
were  about  50  there.'  Regarding  the  clearing  above  mentioned — where  the 
elk  frequented  a  big  lick  they  rubbed  their  horns  against  the  trees,  sometimes 
in  play  or  to  rub  off  the  velvet  or  skin  from  the  new  horns.  This  process 
soon  kills  all  the  trees  except  some  big  old  ones,  so  that  a  clearing  of  2,  3  or 
4  acres  is  made  around  the  lick.  A  few  thorn  trees  [  Cratcegus]  come  up  on 
it  which  grow  so  low  and  stout  as  to  defy  them,  when  it  is  called  a  'Thorn 
Bottom.'  The  elk  are  gregarious,  living  in  small  herds  if  unmolested,  likely 
in  families,  but  they  congregate  at  the  licks  in  summer  in  considerable  heads. 

"  I  have  no  account  of  their  '  yarding '  in  this  county.  Their  food  in  sum- 
mer was  nettles  \_Laportia],  elk  or  cow  cabbage,  elk  grass  [a  wide-bladed 
bunch-grass  common  to  the  woods],  and  the  tender  growing  twigs  of  most 
deciduous  trees  ;  and  in  the  winter  this  elk  grass,  which  keeps  green  all  winter, 
the  edible  brake  or  cow  brake  [Pteris  aquilina\  or  fern,  and  browse  of  deci- 
duous trees.  They  migrate  in  families  from  section  to  section  of  the  country, 
much  like  deer,  but  farther  away. 

"  John  Glasspy  told  me  of  taking  a  contract  to  catch  elk  alive  for  some 
fancier.  They  find  and  single  out  their  elk,  when  two  men  with  a  small  dog, 
.and  each  a  coil  of  rope  and  well  filled  knapsack  of  grub,  start  on  the  chase, 


34  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

and  a  long  chase  it  is.  But  after  three  or  four  days  the  creature  halts  to  see 
what  is  following  him.  They  then  let  loose  the  little  dog.  The  elk  seems  to 
wonder  if  he  has  been  frightened  by  that  little  whiffet.  The  men  have  chosen 
their  time  and  place  not  far  from  some  rocky  ridge  or  large  rock,  accessible 
to  the  elk.  The  dog  attacks  him  with  a  great  noise,  and  not  much  else.  The 
beast  runs  for  a  rock  as  the  best  fort  of  defense  from  the  attack.  While  his 
attention  is  absorbled  by  the  antics  of  the  little  dog,  it  is  easy  to  put  a  rope 
over  his  horn  with  a  long  pole,  or  by  throwing  it  noosed,  and  with  two  ropes 
on  his  horns  and  two  strong  men,  wide  apart,  to  hold  him,  he  soon  becomes 
tired  and  docile  enough  to  be  led  out  and  home.  This  was  not  an  un- 
frequent  occurrence  in  those  times." 

The  following  article  was  published  in  the  "  New  York  Times  "  and  repro- 
duced in  the  "  Pittsburg  Post "  of  April  ipth,  1896  : — 

"  When  I  started  in  to  amuse  and  profit  myself  by  following  the  chase  in 
northern  Pennsylvania,"  said  Colonel  Parker,  of  Gardeau,  Pa.,  "  elks  were 
running  in  these  woods  in  herds.  I  have  killed  elk  a-plenty  in  the  Rocky 
Mountain  country  and  other  regions  since,  but  I  never  ran  across  any  that 
were  as  big  as  those  of  old-time  Pennsylvania  elk.  I  have  killed  elk  on  the 
Sinnemahoning  and  Pine  creek  waters,  and  down  on  the  Clarion  river  and 
West  branch,  that  were  as  big  as  horses.  A  xooo-pound  elk  was  nothing  un- 
common in  that  country,  and  I  killed  one  once  that  weighed  1 200  pounds. 
These  were  bulls.  The  cows  would  weigh  anywhere  from  600  to  800  pounds. 

"The  Pennsylvania  elk's  eyes  were  small,  but  sparkled  like  jewels.  I  have 
often  seen  a  score  or  more  pairs  of  these  bright  eyes  shining  in  the  dark 
recesses  of  the  pine  forest,  when  the  shadows  might  have  otherwise  obscured 
the  presence  there  of  the  owners  of  those  tell-tale  orbs.  An  infuriated  bull 
elk's  eye  was  about  as  fearful  a  thing  to  look  at  as  anything  well  imaginable,, 
but  so  quickly  changeable  was  the  nature  of  these  huge  beasts  that  two  hours 
after  having  captured  with  ropes,  one  that  had,  from  the  vantage  ground  of 
his  rock,  gored  and  trampled  the  life  out  of  a  half  dozen  of  dogs,  and  well- 
nigh  overcome  the  attacking  hunters,  submitted  to  being  harnessed  to  an  im- 
provised sled  and  unresistingly  hauled  a  load  of  venison  upon  it  six  miles 
through  the  woods  to  my  cabin,  and  took  its  place  among  the  cattle  with  as 
docile  an  air  as  if  it* had  been  born  and  brought  up  among  them. 

"  The  elk  that  Sterling  Devins  had  mistaken  for  a  mule,  he  and  Ezra  Prich- 
ard  followed  all  the  next  day,  but  lost  its  trail.  Some  Pine  Creek  hunters 
got  on  its  trail,  drove  it  to  its  rock,  and  roped  it.  When  Devins  and  Prichard. 
got  back  at  night  they  found  the  Pine  Creek  hunters  there  and  the  elk  in  the 
barn  eating  hay  and  entirely  at  home.  That  elk  had  quite  an  interesting 
subsequent  history.  Ezra  Prichard  had,  previous  to  the  capture  of  this  one 
secured  a  pair  of  elks,  broke  them,  and  for  a  long  time  drove  them  to  farm 
work  like  a  yoke  of  oxen.  Sterling  Devins  was  eager  for  a  yoke  of  elk,  and 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  35 

he  offered  the  Pine  Creek  hunters  $100  for  the  one  they  had  captured.  They 
refused  the  offer,  but  afterwards  got  into  a  dispute  about  its  ownership,  and  it 
was  sold  to  Bill  Stowoll  and  John  Sloan  maker,  of  Jersey  Shore.  These  men 
took  the  elk  about  the  country,  exhibiting  it,  and  made  quite  a  sum  of  money. 
Next  fall,  although  the  elk  was  a  cow,  it  became  very  ugly  and  attacked  its 
keeper,  nearly  killing  him  before  he  could  get  away.  No  one  could  go  near 
her,  and  her  owners  ordered  her  shot.  The  carcass  was  bought  by  a  man 
who  had  a  fine  pair  of  elk  horns.  He  was  a  skillful  taxidermist,  and  he  man- 
aged to  fasten  the  horns  to  the  head  of  the  cow  elk  in  such  a  manner  that  no 
one  was  ever  able  to  tell  that  they  hadn't  grown  there.  This  made  of  the 
head  an  apparently  magnificent  head  of  a  bull  elk,  and  it  was  purchased  for 
$100  on  that  belief,  by  a  future  governor  of  Pennsylvania. 

"  That  cow  elk  was  one  of  the  last  family  of  elk  in  the  Pine  creek  country 
[Potter  Co.].  She  and  the  bull  and  calf  had  been  discovered  some  time  be- 
fore Sterling  Devins  ran  across  the  cow,  by  Leroy  Lyman,  on  Tomer's  run, 
near  the  Ole  Bull  settlement  [Abbot  township].  Lyman  got  a  shot  at  the 
bull,  but  the  whole  three  escaped.  The  same  party  of  hunters  that  captured 
the  cow  killed  the  bull  afterward  in  the  woods  on  Kettle  creek.  The  calf  the 
dogs  ran  into  StowelPs  mill  pond,  and  there  it  was  killed. 

"A  set  of  elk  antlers  of  five  feet  spread  and  weighing  from  forty  to  fifty 
pounds,  was  not  an  infrequent  trophy.  George  Rae,  who  was  one  of  the 
great  hunters  of  northern  Pennsylvania  in  his  day — and  he  is  one  of  the 
greatest  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  even  to  this  day,  in  spite  of  his  eighty-five 
years — lived  along  the  Allegheny  at  Portville.  He  had  in  his  house  and  in 
his  barn,  the  walls  almost  covered  with  the  antlers  of  elk  he  had  killed,  on  the 
peak  of  his  roof,  at  one  end,  being  one  that  measured  nearly  six  feet  between 
the  extremities.  When  George  moved  West  forty  years  ago  he  left  the  horns 
on  the  buildings,  and  only  a  few  years  ago  many  of  them  were  still  there,  as 
reminders  of  what  game  once  roamed  our  woods. 

"  It  required  more  skill  to  hunt  the  elk  than  it  did  to  trail  the  deer,  as  they 
were  much  more  cautious  and  alert.  For  all  that,  an  elk,  when  started  from 
his  bed,  did  not  instantly  dash  away,  like  the  deer,  but  invariably  looked  to 
see  what  had  aroused  him.  Then,  if  he  thought  the  cause  boded  him  no 
good,  away  he  went,  not  leaping  over  the  brush,  like  the  deer,  but,  with  his 
head  thrown  back,  and  his  great  horns  almost  covering  his  body,  plunging 
through  the  thickets,  his  big  hoofs  clattering  together  like  castanets  as  he 
went.  The  elk  did  not  go  at  a  galloping  gait,  but  traveled  at  a  swinging  trot 
that  carried  him  along  at  amazing  speed.  He  never  stopped  until  he  had 
crossed  water,  when  his  instinct  seemed  to  tell  him  that  the  scent  of  his  trail 
was  broken  before  the  pursuing  dogs. 

"  At  the  rutting  season  the  elk,  both  male  and  female,  were  fearless  and 
fierce,  and  it  behooved  the  hunter  to  be  watchful.  An  elk  surprised  at  this 


36  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

season  did  not  wait  for  any  overt  act  on  the  part  of  an  enemy,  but  was 
instantly  aggressive.  One  blow  from  an  elk's  foot  would  kill  a  wolf  or  a  dog, 
and  I  have  more  than  once  been  forced  to  elude  an  elk  by  running  around 
trees,  jumping  from  one  to  another  before  the  bulky  beast,  unable  to  make 
the  turns  quick  enough,  could  recover  himself  and  follow  me  too  closely  to 
prevent  it,  thus  making  my  way  by  degrees  to  a  safe  refuge.  I  was  once 
treed  by  a  bull  elk  not  half  a  mile  from  home  and  kept  there  from  noon  until 
night  began  to  fall.  I  haven't  the  least  doubt  but  he  would  have  kept  me 
there  all  night  if  another  bull  hadn't  bugled  a  challenge  from  a  neighboring 
hill  and  my  bull  hurried  away  in  answer  to  it. 

"  The  whistle  of  the  bull  elk,  as  the  hunters  call  it,  wasn't  a  whistle,  although 
there  were  changes  in  it  that  gave  it  something  of  a  flute-like  sound.  The 
sound  was  more  like  the  notes  of  a  bugle.  In  making  it  the  bull  threw  back 
his  head,  swelled  his  throat  and  neck  to  enormous  size,  and  with  that  as  a 
bellows  he  blew  from  his  open  mouth  the  sound  that  made  at  once  his  chal- 
lenge or  call  for  a  mate.  The  sound  was  far-reaching,  and  heard  at  a  dis- 
tance was  weird  and  uncanny,  yet  not  unmusical.  Near-by,  it  was  rasping  and 
harsh,  with  the  whistling  notes  prominent. 

"The  Pennsylvania  elk  was  never  much  scattered.  When  I  first  came  to 
the  Sinnemahoning  country,  nearly  seventy  years  ago,  the  salt  marsh  that  lay 
in  the  wilderness  where  my  residence  now  is  [Gardeau,  in  the  extreme  S.  E. 
corner  of  McKean  Co.,  almost  on  Potter  Co.  line],  was  trampled  over  by 
herds  of  elk  and  deer  that  came  there  to  lick  the  salt  from  the  ground  as  if  a 
drove  of  cattle  had  been  there.  I  have  seen  seventy-five  elk  huddled  at  that 
marsh.  That  was  the  '  Big  Elk  Lick '  of  legend  which  the  reservation  [Corn- 
planter]  Indians  had  often  talked  to  me  about  when  I  lived  in  Allegheny 
county,  New  York,  as  a  boy,  and  it  was  to  find  that  lick  that  my  father  and  I, 
following  the  rather  indefinite  directions  of  one  Johnnyhocks,  an  old  Shongo 
Indian,  entered  the  Pennsylvania  wilderness  in  1826.  The  marsh  is  now  the 
site  of  a  big  hotel,  it  having  been  found  that  the  depth  of  the  swamp  con- 
cealed waters  [Parker's  Springs]  of  rare  medical  value. 

"To  follow  an  elk  forty  miles  before  running  it  down  was  considered 
nothing  remarkable.  I  have  done  it  many  a  time.  Leroy  Lyman,  Jack 
Lyman  and  A.  H.  Goodsell  once  started  on  an  elk  hunt  from  Roulette,  Potter 
county,  struck  the  trail  at  the  head  of  West  creek  in  McKean  county,  thirty 
miles  from  Roulette,  followed  it  through  Elk,  Clarion  and  Clearfield  counties^ 
and  finally  drove  it  to  its  rock  eighty  or  ninety  miles  from  where  the  trail  was 
first  struck.  They  had  followed  the  elk  many  days,  and  finally  the  quarry 
was  found,  an  enormous  bull  with  a  spread  of  horns  like  a  young  maple  tree. 
The  horns  were  the  only  trophy  that  the  hunters  got  from  the  long  and  tedious 
chase  [meat  being  unfit  to  eat],  and  that  trophy  was  well  worth  it.  It  was 
the  largest  and  next  to  the  finest  pair  of  antlers  ever  carried  by  an  elk  in  the 
Pennsylvania  forests,  so  far  as  there  is  any  record. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  37 

"  There  are  scattered  through  the  woods,  generally  high  on  the  hills,  from 
the  Allegheny  river  down  to  the  West  branch  and  Clarion  river,  huge  rocks, 
some  detached  boulders  and  others  projections  of  ledges.  These  are  known 
as  elk  rocks,  and  every  one  of  them  has  been,  in  its  day,  the  last  resort  of 
some  elk  brought  to  bay  after  a  long  and  hard  chase.  It  was  the  habit  of  the 
hunted  elk,  when  it  had  in  vain  sought  to  throw  the  hunter  and  hound  from 
the  trail  to  make  its  stand  at  one  of  these  rocks.  Mounting  it,  and  facing  its 
foes,  it  fiercely  fought  off  the  assaults  of  the  dogs  by  blows  of  his  fore  feet  or 
tremendous  kicks  from  its  hind  feet,  until  the  hunter  came  up  and  ended  the 
fight  with  his  rifle.  It  would  be  strange  if  one  or  more  of  the  dogs  were  not 
stretched  dead  at  the  foot  of  the  rock  by  the  time  the  hunter  arrived  on  the 
scene.  I  have  more  than  once  found  dead  wolves  lying  about  one  of  these 
elk  rocks,  telling  mutely,  but  eloquently,  the  tragic  story  of  the  pursuit  of  the 
elk  by  the  wolves,  his  coming  to  bay  on  the  rock,  the  battle  and  the  elk's 
victory.  The  elk  was  not  always  victor,  though,  in  such  battles  with  wolves, 
and  I  have  frequently  found  the  stripped  skeleton  of  one  lying  among  the 
skeletons  of  wolves  he  had  killed  before  being  himself  vanquished  by  their 
savage  and  hungry  fellows. 

"  In  the  winter  time  the  elks  would  gather  in  large  herds  and  their  range 
would  be  exceedingly  limited.  Sometimes  they  would  migrate  to  other 
regions,  and  would  not  be  seen  for  months  in  their  haunts,  but  suddenly  they 
would  return  and  be  as  plentiful  as  ever.  They  had  their  regular  paths  or 
runways,  through  the  woods,  and  these  invariably  led  to  salt  licks,  of  which 
there  were  many  natural  ones  in  northern  Pennsylvania.  One  of  the  most 
frequented  of  these  elk  paths  started  in  a  dense  forest,  where  the  town  of 
Ridgway,  the  county  seat  of  Elk  county,  now  stands,  led  to  the  great  lick  on 
the  Sinnemahoning  portage,  and  thence  through  the  forest  to  another  big 
lick,  which  to-day  is  covered  by  Washington  Park,  in  the  city  of  Bradford 
[McKean  Co.].  I  have  followed  that  elk  path  its  whole  length,  when  the 
only  sign  of  civilization  was  now  and  then  a  hunter's  cabin,  from  the  head- 
waters of  the  Clarion  river  to  the  Allegheny,  in  McKean  county.  Hundreds 
of  elk  were  killed  annually  at  the  licks  or  while  traveling  to  and  from  them, 
along  their  well-marked  runways. 

"  The  biggest  set  of  elk  antlers  ever  captured  in  the  Pennsylvania  woods 
was  secured  in  the  Kettle  creek  country  by  Major  Isaac  Lyman,  Philip  Tome, 
George  Ayres,  L.  D.  Spoffard  and  William  Wattles.  Philip  Tome  was  a  great 
hunter,  and  the  famous  interpreter  for  Cornplanter  and  Blacksnake,  the  great 
Indian  chiefs.  He  came  over  from  Warren  county  to  help  Major  Lyman 
capture  an  elk  alive,  and  the  party  started  in  on  the  first  snow,  with  plenty  of 
ropes  and  things.  They  camped,  but  the  elk  were  in  such  big  herds  that 
they  couldn't  get  a  chance  at  a  single  bull  for  more  than  a  week.  Then  they 
got  the  biggest  one  they  ever  saw  and  gave  chase  to  him.  They  started  him 


38  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

from  his  bed  on  Yocum  hill.  The  dogs  took  him  down  Little  Kettle  creek 
to  Big  Kettle,  and  up  that  two  or  three  miles.  There  the  elk  came  to  bay  on 
a  rock.  He  kept  the  dogs  at  a  distance  until  the  hunters  came  up,  when  he 
left  the  rock  and  started. away  again.  Tome,  knowing  the  nature  of  elk,  said 
that  all  they  had  to  do  was  to  wait  and  the  elk  would  return  to  the  rock. 
They  dropped  poles  and  fitted  up  nooses.  They  waited  nearly  half  a  day* 
and  then  they  heard  the  bull  coming  crashing  through  the  woods,  down  the 
mountain  sides,  the  dogs  in  full  cry.  He  mounted  his  rock  again.  The 
hunters  he  did  not  seem  to  mind,  but  the  dogs  he  fought  fiercely.  While  he 
was  doing  that  the  hunters  got  the  nooses  over  his  immense  horns  and 
anchored  him  to  surrounding  trees.  They  got  the  elk  alive  to  the  Allegheny 
river,  and  floated  him  on  a  raft  to  Olean  Point.  From  there  they  traveled 
with  him  through  New  York  State  to  Albany,  exhibiting  him  with  much  profit, 
and  at  Albany  he  was  sold  for  $500.  That  elk  stood  sixteen  hands  high  and 
had  antlers  six  feet  long,  and  eleven  points  on  each  side,  the  usual  number  of 
points  being  nine  on  a  side. 

"  The  last  elk  in  Pennsylvania  is  supposed  to  have  'been  killed  in  the 
winter  of  1867,  by  an  Indian  named  Jim  Jacobs,  from  the  Cattaraugus  reser- 
vation. Jacobs  followed  the  elk  from  Flagg  Swamp,  in  Elk  county,  to  the 
wilds  of  Clarion  county,  through  a  hard  snowstorm,  where  it  came  to  bay  on 
a  rock,  and  the  Indian  shot  it.  It  was  a  bull  elk  and  none  had  been  seen  or 
heard  in  the  region  for  several  years  before  that." 

I  wrote  Mr.  E.  O.  Austin,  of  Austin,  Potter  Co.,  distant  7  miles  from 
Gardeau  as  to  his  view  of  the  narrative  of  Capt.  Parker  above  quoted.  He 
writes  me  that  he  knew  Parker,  Lyman,  Pritchard,  and  others  named,  nearly 
all  of.  whom,  including  Parker,  are  now  dead.  Sterling  Devins  still  lives  in 
Homer  township,  Potter  Co.  They  all  told  substantially  the  same  stories  of 
elk  habits  as  given  by  Parker,  who  was  an  old  veteran,  not  only  in  age  and 
hunting  exploits,  but  in  his  latter  days  as  a  story  teller.  Mr.  Austin  writes  : 
"  What  Col.  Parker  says  of  the  habits  of  elk  and  other  wild  animals  is  very 
correct,  but  he  was  in  the  habit  of  making  a  good  story  of  his  exploits."  A 
failing,  I  might  add,  which  is  common  to  so  many  "great,  old  men,"  that  the 
world  knows  how  to  make  allowance  for  it. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Records  in  Pa. — Eastern  Pa. — Kalm  relates  (Travels,  1781  ed.,  p.  199, 
vol.  2)  that  the  "Stags"  [wapiti]  came  down  from  the  mountains  [of 
Penna.  and  N.  J.?]  in  1705,  and  were  killed  in  great  numbers  on  account  of 
a  great  snow.  Gabriel  Thomas  (History  of  Pennsylvania  and  West  New 
Jersey,  (1698,  p.  15),  in  the  part  devoted  to  Penna.  speaks  of  the  "red 
deer,"  "  vulgarly  called  stags,"  one  of  which  he  bought  for  two  gills  of  gun- 
powder. Farther  on  he  states  "  there  are  vast  numbers  of  other  wild  creatures 
[in  Penna.],  as  elks,  buffalos,"  etc.  Regarding  the  name  "  Stag,"  McKay, 
in  his  Zoology  of  New  York  uses  this  as  the  common  name  for  the  wapiti. 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY.  39 

Ord,  in  Guthrie's  Geography  (Amer.  ed.,  1815,  p.  306),  uses  the  same 
name  for  it.  Godman  uses  both  this  name  and  "  red  deer "  in  his  syn- 
onymy (Nat.  Hist.,  vol.  2,  p.  294).  "Red  deer"  was  used  by  the  back- 
woodsmen to  distinguish  it  from  the  Virginia  or  "  wild  deer,"  as  G.  Thomas 
calls  them.  The  use  of  the  term  "  Elks,"  by  Thomas,  seems  to  show  that 
it  was  also  used  at  that  time  to  designate  the  wapiti.  "  Red  deer  "  was  pro- 
bably given  by  the  English  to  the  wapiti  on  account  of  its  resemblance  to  the 
deer  of  England  Census  elaphas.  The  name  was  also  literally  applicable  to 
it  on  account  of  its  color,  as  contrasted  with  that  of  the  Virginia  deer.  Dr. 
B.  S.  Barton  (Med.  and  Phys.  Journal,  1806,  p.  46),  writes  :  "In  the  memory 
of  many  persons  now  living,  the  droves  of  elks  which  used  to  frequent  the 
salines  near  the  river  Susquehanna  in  Pennsylvania  [probably  referring  to 
eastern  and  central  Penna.]  were  so  great  that  for  5  or  6  miles  leading  to  the 
licks  the  paths  of  these  animals  were  as  large  as  many  of  the  great  public 
roads  of  our  country.  Eighty  elks  have  sometimes  been  seen  in  one  herd 
upon  their  march  to  the  salines." 

Northwestern  Pa. — I  remember  seeing  2  bull  elk  a  man  had  captured 
alive  in  one  of  our  northern  (Penna.)  counties,  but  have  forgotten  which  one 
it  was."  .  .  "  Regarding  those  two  elk,  I  was  a  boy  at  a  county  fair  in  the 
early  'yo's,  in  Blairsville,  Indiana  Co.  The  man  who  owned  the  elk  was  there 
with  them,  and  said  he  had  walked  them  down  in  the  deep  snow  when  they 
were  young.  They  were  both  bulls,  and  he  drove  them  around  the  track  in  a 
buggy.  .  .  .  As  I  remember  they  were  small-sized  [specimens].  I  was  on 
a  hunting  trip  in  the  west  last  fall,  and  saw  hundreds  of  wild  elk,  so  I  am  sure 
these  were  the  genuine  article."  Shields,  Jan.  n,  1901.  "At  present  [1851] 
there  is  only  a  narrow  range  on  the  Allegheny  mountains  where  the  elk  still 
exists  [in  Penna],  .  .  .  and  these  would  undoubtedly  migrate  elsewhere 
were  they  not  restricted  by  the  extensive  settlements  on  the  west  and 
south." — Aud.  Bachm.,  Quad.  N.  Amer.,  vol.  2,  p.  92.  Audubon  further 
states  that  Mr.  Peale,  of  Philadelphia,  told  him  about  1846  that  the  only  place 
he  could  secure  wapiti  in  the  Atlantic  States  was  on  some  barren  mountains 
in  northwestern  Pennsylvania,  where  he  had  hunted  them.  The  specimens 
figured  in  plate  II.  represent  two  Pennsylvania  Elk  which  Audubon  had  in 
captivity  in  New  York. 

Allegheny  Co. — Place-name  Elkhorn,  in  southernmost  township. 

Cameron  Co. — "  Two  of  the  old  settlers  who  first  settled  on  the  Driftwood 
River,  above  Emporium,  told  me  that  during  the  thirties  [1830  to  1840] 
they  counted  in  one  drove  at  one  time  seventy  elk  in  and  around  the  Big 
Lick,  on  the  Driftwood.  In  1839  my  father  killed  one  on  the  Driftwood  about 
a  mile  from  Big  Elk  Lick." — C.  W.  Dickinson.  "  Favorite  places  for  them 
were  Hick's  Run  and  Driftwood  River,  this  county." — Larrabee.  See  also 
notes  under  Elk  Co. 


40  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Centre  Co. — "  The  elk  have  all  been  exterminated  in  the  vicinity  of  Pine 
Glen."  They  were  here  30  years  ago  [1864?]. — G.  K.  Boak.  See  Rep.  Pa., 
Dept.  Agric.,  1896,  p.  328. 

Chester  Co. — The  following  paragraph  was  written  by  a  lifelong  resident  of 
Colora,  Cecil  Co.,  Maryland,  in  answer  to  my  inquiries  regarding  the  origin 
of  the  place  names  of  Elk  River,  Elk  Creek  and  Elkton  in  Md.,  with  their 
repetition  in  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  as  Elk  township,  Big  and  Little  Elk  Creek,  Elk 
View  and  Elk  Mills.  It  indicates  how  completely  even  the  traditional  origin 
of  names  given  in  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  country  has  ceased  to  be 
handed  down.  Published  local  histories  seem  to  be  silent  on  the  subject.  As 
we  have  Kalm's  evidence  of  the  former  appearance  of  elk  in  the  vicinity  of 
Philadelphia,  and  the  record  of  their  existence  in  the  Susquehanna  valley  as  far 
south  as  York  (see  York  Co.),  there  is  every  reason  to  predict  that,  as  historic 
evidence  accumulates,  we  will  not  find  it  necessary  to  account  for  these  place- 
names  in  Cecil  and  Chester  Co.  to  the  fancied  resemblance  of  Elk  River  and 
its  tributaries  to  the  skull  and  antlers  of  an  elk.  The  extract  referred  to  reads  .- 
"  After  living  here  60  years  I  have  never  heard  of  the  elk-deer  being  found  in 
these  regions.  I  have  always  had  the  idea  that  our  creek  obtained  that  pre- 
fix from  the  circumstance  of  coming  together  in  a  common  estuary  as  the 
horns  of  an  elk  to  his  skull.  The  creeks  being  thus  named,  the  tidewater 
part,  the  bay,  was  called  Elk  River.  Hence  also  the  name  of  the  town  and 
railroad  station." — Lloyd  Balderston,  4—10—1901.  I  have  recently  made  per- 
sonal inquiry  among  the  old  residents  of  this  region,  and  while  there  is  no 
absolute  proof  of  the  former  existence  of  elk  there  now  known  to  them,  it  is 
the  general  opinion  that  such  was  the  case.  Certain  old  salt  and  sulphur 
springs  are  mentioned  as  forming  a  likely  attraction. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Clarion  Co. — See  place-name  of  Elk  township  and  Elk  City  in  the  north- 
western part  of  Co. 

Clearfield  Co. — "  An  elk  was  killed  near  the  present  site  of  Coalport  by 
Mr.  James  Turner  in  1837." — Abraham  Neverling,  see  Rep.  Pa.  Dept.  Agri- 
culture, 1896,  p.  328. 

Clinton  Co. — Between  1831  and  1837  I  used  to  hunt  them  in  this  and  ad- 
joining counties. — Seth.  I.  Nelson. 

Columbia  Co. — Place-name  of  Elk  Grove  on  extreme  northern  border. 

Crawford  Co. — A.  Huidekoper  includes  the  "elk"  in  the  animal  list  in 
his  "  Sketch  of  Crawf.  Co."  (Mem.  Penna.  Hist.  Soc.,  1846).  In  a  History 
of  Crawf.  Co.  (1885,  p.  260),  we  read,  "Elk  were  rarely  seen  west  of  the 
Allegheny  river,"  in  that  county. — Rhoads. 

Elk  Co. — "  At  the  head  of  Bennett's  Branch  is  a  marsh,  called  Flag  Swamp, 
remarkable  as  probably  the  only  one  in  the  state  where  the  Beaver  may  be 
found  [in  1850]  ;.  .  .  in  the  same  region  a  few  Elk  remain."  ..."  Elk 
were  found  in  Flag  Swamp  as  late  as  1850,  and  the  last  elk  killed  in  Pennsyl- 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY.  4! 

vania  was  taken  in  1867  on  Bennett's  Branch." — See  Hist.  Elk  Co.  (Chicago), 
1890,  pp.  573  and  578.  "Colonel  Cecil  Clay  informs  me  that  an  Indian 
whom  he  knew  killed  one  in  Pennsylvania  in  1869." — Theodore  Roosevelt, 
in  Forum,  Aug.,  1893.  "The  last  Elk  that  I  know  about  was  killed  on 
Crooked  Creek  in  this  [Elk]  county  about  33  years  ago  [1866]  by  Corn- 
planter  Indians  from  the  N.  York  reservation."  "  These  Indians  killed  one 
elk  and  took  out  the  other  alive  (a  buck)  in  the  winter  of  1866  or  early  in 
the  spring  of  1867.  They  captured  the  elk  with  muzzled  dogs  and  by  use  of 
snow  shoes.  Crooked  Creek  rises  at  the  foot  of  the  ridge  in  Elk  Co.  that 
divides  the  waters  of  the  Susquehanna  and  Clarion  Rivers." — Cap.  Clay* 
"  Mr.  Seth  Nelson  stated  to  me  that  one  of  the  last  elk  known  to  have  been 
killed  in  that  region  was  secured  on  Bennett's  Branch,  Elk  county,  by  a  party 
of  Cornplanter  Indians  about  1865.  A  hunter,  Wilson  Morrison,  brought  the 
carcass  of  an  elk  about  that  time  to  Lock  Haven  [in  a  boat]  claiming  that  he 
killed  it,  but  it  was  afterward  understood  that  he  paid  $25  to  the  Indians  for 
it." — See  Rhoads  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  1897,  p.  208.  In  regard  to  the  Utica 
Globe  article  (see  foot-note,  supra  cit.),  Nelson  has  since  informed  me  that 
the  dates  are  very  misleading.  His  father  and  Parmenter  did  not  hunt  this 
elk  in  1867  as  there  stated  but  about  1835  or  '36.  The  story  of  how  the 
Indian,  Jim  Jacobs,  outwitted  them  is  correct.  The  elk  was  killed  upon  or 
near  the  site  of  the  town  of  St.  Mary's,  then  on  "West,"  now  Elk,  Creek. 
When  the  railroad  was  graded  through  this  region  Flag  Pond  and  Swamp 
were  drained  off.  It  consisted  of  "  one  acre  of  water  surrounded  widely  by 
flags  and  willows."  Possibly  it  was  a  salt  or  licking  pond.  This  is  almost  cer- 
tainly the  same  locality  mentioned  as  being  at  the  head  of  Bennett's  Branch 
in  the  History  of  Elk  Co.,  its  waters  flowing  on  one  side  into  Trout  Run  of 
that  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  and  on  the  other  into  Elk  Creek,  a  tributary 
of  the  Clarion  River.  Nelson  states  this  1835  elk  was  started  in  Potter  Co. 
and  that  it  was  by  no  means  the  "  Last  Elk  of  the  Sinnemahoning,"  as  stated 
in  the  newspaper,  for  while  tracking  it  his  father  saw  signs  of  several  others, 
"The  last  elk  supposed  to  have  been  killed  in  Penna.  was  killed  by  Geo. 
Gaylord  of  Tioga  Co.,  I  think  about  30  years  ago." — W.  C.  Babcock,  Oct., 
1899.  "  I  do  not  know  the  exact  time  that  brother  George  [Gaylord] 
killed  the  elk,  but  it  was  soon  after  the  Civil  war.  He  sent  the  horns  to  a 
man  in  Philadelphia.  He  said  that  the  horns  had  five  prongs." — Mrs.  J.  H, 
Harmon,  W'ellsboro,  Pa.,  Oct.,  1899.  A  five-prong  buck  elk  was  killed  by 
Geo.  W.  Gaylord  of  Farrandsville  and  James  David  of  Beech  Creek  on  Hick's 
Run  of  Bennett's  Branch  of  the  Sinnemahoning  River,  25  miles  from  Drift- 
wood, near  the  line  between  Elk  and  Cameron  counties.  It  was  boated  down 
to  Farrandsville,  Clinton  Co.  Weight  over  500  Ibs.  This  was  in  the  year 
1862. — C.  C.  Pfoutz  (in  his  first  letter).  In  a  later  letter  giving  more  exact 
information,  Mr.  Pfoutz  reiterates  the  identity  of  the  men,  Gaylord  and 


42  MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

David,  says  he  often  talked  with  Gaylord  about  this  hunt  and  long  knew  him 
as  a  great  hunter  and,  what  is  more  rare,  a  truthful  man  !  A  friend  of  Gay- 
lord's,  George  Dewey  by  name,  lumbering  in  Elk  Co.  came  to  Farrandsville 
and  told  Gaylord  of  the  elk.  So  Gaylord  got  his  old  hunting  companion, 
David,  to  bring  his  dogs.  This  was  "  after  the  big  spring  or  summer  flood  of 
1862,  as  they  had  to  walk  all  the  way  up  the  river  to  the  mouth  of  Hick's 
Run  of  Bennett's  Branch  [owing  to  the  absence  of  bridges  and  washing  of 
roads  preventing  use  of  horses]."  They  staid  all  night  at  "cracker"  Hick's 
cabin,  who  set  them  on  the  elk  trail.  They  hunted  all  day  and  camped  one 
night.  The  next  day  at  2  o'clock  they  started  the  elk,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
it  stood  at  bay  and  began  fighting  the  dogs,  when  Gaylord  came  up  and  killed 
it.  They  hired  a  team  and  got  it  down  to  the  creek,  where  they  built  a  boat 
and  brought  it  to  Farrandsville  by  water.  Pfoutz  says  he  lived  with  or  near 
Gaylord  16  years;  thinks  it  was  in  November,  1862,  that  the  hunt  occurred, 
as  he  was  in  the  Civil  war  at  the  time.  He  strongly  denies  the  story  that  this 
elk  was  procured  from  Indians,  as  implied  by  Nelson  in  the  following  com- 
munication :  "  James  David  and  Wilson  Morrison  were  said  to  have  killed  an 
elk  in  Elk  Co.  in  1865.  It  was  brought  down  the  river  in  a  boat.  They  did 
not  kill  it,  but  bought  it  of  3  indians."  Cap.  Clay  thinks,  it  possible  this  was 
the  Cornplanter  elk  of  1866.  The  dates  nearly  coincide,  and  the  Susquehanna 
was  its  natural  portage  to  market.  David  may  have  been  in  both  hunts. — 
Rhoads. 

"  The  last  elk  killed  in  northwestern  Pennsylvania  was  killed  on  Hick's  run 
in  the  southwestern  corner  of  Cameron  Co.[  ?],  in  November,  1861.  A  party 
of  old  hunters,  accompanied  by  a  boy  about  twenty  years  old,  went  in  pursuit 
of  elk  [namely],  William  Pepper,  Ben.  Sweezy,  Enoch  Sweezy,  Hamilton 
Sweezy  (the  boy)  and  Frank  Lewis.  They  found  the  trail  of  an  elk  on  Hick's 
Run,  and  Hamilton  Sweezy  having  strayed  away  from  the  rest,  was  about  to 
to  shout  to  his  comrades  when  he  heard  the  baying  of  hounds.  He  stoo'd 
still  and  soon  saw  an  elk  coming  toward  him.  It  passed  within"  four  rods, 
and  as  it  did  so  he  shot  it,  the  elk  running  about  10  rods  and  falling  dead, 
leaving  Hamilton  Sweezy  the  honor  [  ?]  of  killing  the  last  elk  in  northwestern 
Pennsylvania,  or  perhaps  the  last  one  in  this  state." — Dickinson.  "  Once  very 
plentiful  all  through  the  Allegheny  range  of  mountains.  Last  killed  in  winter 
of  1861-62,  on  Hick's  Run,  Cameron  Co.,  by  Pepper  and  Sweezy." — W. 
Dickeson.  [Not  Dickinson,  supra.'} 

I  was  told  by  the  hunters  in  our  engineering  camp,  about  40  years  ago  that 
one  had  been  killed  [?]  a  yea*  or  two  before  that  [1857?]  near  where  we 
were  camped  on  one  of  the  branches  of  Elk  Creek,  in  Elk  county,  in  this 
state."— Prof.  J.  E.  Rothrock,  Oct.  1899. 

Forest  Co. — "There  were  elk  here  until,  say  1835." — Hazlet.  "  Early  set- 
tlers saw  and  killed  them  up  to  1830,  I  understand  from  good  authority." — 
Irwin. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY.  45 

Erie  Co.— Place-names,  Elk  Creek,  E.  C.  Twp.,  and  E.  C.  P.  Office  in 
southwestern  part  of  county.  See  under  Erie  Co.  in  the  notes  on  American 
Bison,  by  Ashe,  next  article. 

Jefferson  Co, — Place-names,  Elk  River  in  the  north,  and  Little  E.  River  in 
the  south  of  Co. 

Luzerne  Co. — In  "  Bartram's  Observations"  (London,  1751,  p.  27),  it  is 
recorded  that  fresh  tracks  of  elk  were  seen  above  "  Cayuga  Branch,  near 
Tohiccon,"  on  the  Susquehanna  River,  and  later  (p.  68),  he  states  under  date 
of  Aug.  10,  1742,  "Just  above  the  junction  of  the  east  and  west  branches  of 
the  Susquehanna  River,  where  was  a  lick,  one  of  the  Indians  shot  and 
wounded  an  elk."  On  that  day  they  made  an  observation  and  found  the  lat- 
itude to  be  41^°. 

Lycoming  and  Tioga  Cos. — The  wapiti  is  "  now  almost  extinct  in  most 
parts  of  Pennsylvania.  *  *  *  I  found  their  horns  repeatedly  in  the  woods> 
mossy  and  gnawed  by  mice  or  wolves.  A  pair  of  elks  were  shot  on  Pine 
Creek  in  the  spring  [1835],  and  a  herd  of  13  was  killed  by  a  couple  of  hunt- 
ers in  February  of  last  year  [1834],  near  the  headwaters  of  Pine  Creek." — 
R.  C.  Taylor  in  London's  Magaz.  N.  Hist.,  vol.  8,  1835,  pp.  536,  539. 

McKean  Co. — "  In  1835  my  father,  Edward  Dickinson,  who  was  a  green 
hunter  at  that  time,  killed  two  large  buck  elk  on  Colegrove  Brook  in  Norwich 
Township,  McKean  county." — C.  W.  Dickinson.  The  specimen  of  male  elk 
in  the  museum  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia,  was  not 
killed  in  Potter  county,  as  often  stated,  but  in  McKean  county. — W.  W. 
Larrabee's  statement  to  S.  N.  Rhoads  in  1896.  "  In  the  forepart  of  the  igth 
century  elk  were  very  plenty  in  this  part  [south  part]  of  the  state."— C.  W. 
Dickinson. 

Mercer  Co. — B.  S.  Stokley,  in  Memoirs  of  the  Histor.  Soc.  Penna.  (Vol.  4,. 
1846,  p.  77),  writes  :  ''One  Buffalo  horn  and  two  Elk  horns  were  found  in 
1795  and  J797  [in  Mercer  Co.]."  "A  few  Elk  were  seen  and  one  killed 
near  the  western  boundry  of  the  county  since  1 794." 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "  The  Elk  was  probably  never  as  numerous  in  this 
[Pocono]  region  as  in  the  central  Allegheny  mountains,  those  individuals 
taken  in  iormer  days  being  considered  by  the  [present]  natives  as  stragglers 
from  the  main  body.  The  last  capture  in  Pike  county  was  probably  not  later 
than  1840  or  1845."  See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  1894,  p.  389. 

Northampton  Co. — This  Co.  was  included  in  the  area  alluded  to  by  Penn 
in  his  letter  to  the  Free  Traders  in  1683  as  containing  "the  elk  as  big  as  a 
small  ox."  Then  part  of  Bucks  Co. — Rhoads. 

Philadelphia  Co. — Peter Kalm  in  his  "Travels"  (Vol.  i,  p.  336),  says  that 
an  Indian  living  in  1 748  had  killed  many  "  Stags  "  OH  the  spot  where  Phila- 
delphia now  stands.  See  also  (antea)  for  references  to  eastern  Penna. 
There  is  much  reason  for  believing  this  seemingly  extraordinary  statement. 


44  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

The  Virginia  deer  was  not  intended  by  it,  that  animal  still  being  found  in 
Phila.  Co.  during  Kalm's  stay.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  occur- 
rence probably  happened  in  the  latter  part  of  the  i;th  century,  before  Penn's 
arrival  in  America. 

Potter  Co. — "About  1870  one  was  brought  through  our  town  [Canton, 
Bradford  Co.]  which  was  killed  in  Potter  Co.,  Pa.  The  first  settlers  found 
them  all  through  Northern  Pa." — Dr.  J.  E.  Cleveland  (first  letter  of  Oct.  30, 
1899).  "  I  was  living  in  Union  [township]  at  the  time  I  saw  the  elk  in  ques- 
tion. They  [the  2  hunters]  passed  through  Canton  as  there  was  no  other 
way  leading  to  Bradford  Co.  I  call  to  mind  the  barn  where  they  fed  their 
team  and  other  circumstances,  that  fix  the  date  as  being  in  the  fall  of  1862 
or  '63.  I  saw  the  hunters  when  they  were  on  their  way  to  Potter  Co.,  a 
father  and  son.  They  had  two  deer  hounds  with  them.  The  old  man  told 
me  that  he  had  formerly  killed  a  number  of  elk,  and  that  he  had  been  in- 
formed that  signs  of  elk  had  been  seen,  where  he  had  formerly  hunted,  in 
Potter  Co.  In  about  two  weeks  they  returned  with  a  dead  bull  elk  in  their 
sleigh.  If  I  learned  their  names  at  the  time,  I  have  forgotten  them."  "J. 
M.  Whitcomb  of  Union  [township]  says  that  he  visited  a  hunter's  lodge  in 
f_the  Black  Forest]  Potter  county  owned  by  two  brothers  named  Wilcox  from 
Bradford  county.  They  had  a  dead  elk  in  camp.  This  was  in  the  early 
sixties." — Dr.  J.  E.  Cleveland  (second  letter  of  Feb.  8,  1901).  "I  am  glad 
to  be  able  to  produce  a  witness  to  corroborate  my  previous  statements  re- 
garding the  elk  I  saw  brought  through  Union,  Pa.  Alonzo  Thomas,  aged  77 
years,  whose  Post  office  address  is  Alba,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.,  informs  me  that 
Sheffield  Wilcox,  late  of  Albany,  Brad.  Co.,  Pa.,  told  him  that  the  last  bull 
elk  heard  of  on  his  hunting  ground  he  [Wilcox]  killed  in  Potter  county,  Pa., 
in  1862  or  '63.  Mr.  Thomas  says  that  the  direct  route  from  the  '  Black 
Forest '  of  Potter  Co.  to  Mr.  Wilcox's  home  in  Albany  would  be  through 
Liberty,  Union  and  Canton.  Mr.  Thomas  has  probably  killed  more  game 
than  any  other  man  now  living  in  this  vicinity.  He  hunted  for  elk  in  Potter 
Co.  with  Mr.  Wilcox  sixty  years  ago.  Mr.  Thomas  lives  about  five  miles 
from  Canton,  is  a  well-to-do  farmer  and  highly  respected.  In  looking  over 
the  history  of  Bradford  Co.  I  find  that  Sheffield  Wilcox,  Sr.,  with  a  large 
family,  located  in  Albany  Twp.  in  1801.  Sheffield  Wilcox,  Jr.,  was  the 
hunter." — Dr.  J.  E.  Cleveland  (3d  letter  of  Feb.  19,  1901). 

"  The  last  Elk  taken  in  this  county  was  killed  on  the  head  waters  of  the 
West  Branch  of  Pine  Creek,  somewhere  about  1845  or  '46.  In  1852  I  was 
in  a  camp  for  some  time,  occupied  by  Mr.  John  Jordan,  on  a  branch  of  the 
First  Fork  of  the  Sinnemahoning.  Mr.  Jordan  described  graphically  the  hunt. 
There  were  several  engaged  in  it,  but  the  exact  date,  if  told,  I  do  not  remem- 
ber. They  had  practically  disappeared  at  that  time,  and  the  discovery  of 
this  one  raised  a  furor  amongst  the  hunters,  of  whom  Mr.  Jordan  was  one. 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  45 

This  was  in  Potter  Co.  In  the  spring  of  1857,  we  saw  tracks  of  many  wild 
beasts  in  wet  places  in  the  bottoms  near  Austin,  where  I  had  settled  the  pre- 
ceding year.  One  morning  my  2  boys  saw  some  tracks  and  said  that  some- 
body's cow  had  got  lost  in  the  woods.  Now  no  stray  cow  could  have  been  in 
that  place  at  that  season.  I  saw  the  tracks ;  they  were  strange  to  me,  but 
Mr.  John  Glassby,  and  Cliff  Haskins,  old  hunters,  pronounced  them  Elk 
tracks,  and  said  they  were  probably  some  strays  passing  from  Pine  Creek 
[Potter  Co.]  to  Elk  and  Forest  counties,  and  would  take  the  route  through 
the  deer  licks  up  the  creek  (Freeman's  Run)  to  the  Salt  Spring  in  Portage 
Twp.,  this  county.  This  they  did  as  known  by  their  tracks ;  I  myself  seeing 
them  for  three  miles  on  their  route,  and  hearing  of  them  to  beyond  the  big 
Salt  Lick.  No  others  were  ever  seen  to  my  knowledge  after  these." — E.  O. 
Austin. 

Somerset  Co. — "  Exterminated.  Last  seen  in  this  section  [Elk  Lick] 
about  45  years  ago." — Mier,  1902. 

Sullivan  Co. — "The  last  one  killed  was  in  the  early  part  of  the  i9th  cen- 
tury, in  the  western  part  of  the  county." — Behr. 

"  NEW  ALBANY,  BRADFORD  Co.,  PA., 
March  26,  1901. 

"  The  information  I  can  give  y^u  in  regard  to  the  elk  in  what  is  now  Sulli- 
van Co.  is  very  meagre  indeed.  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  give  you  something  more 
definite,  but  to  fix  dates  definitely  after  lapse  of  many  years  where  there  are 
no  records,  is  almost  impossible.  Elkland  township,  now  a  moderately  sized 
township  in  Sullivan  Co.,  adjoining  Bradford  Co.  on  the  north,  was  erected  as 
-a  part  of  Lycoming  in  1804,  and  contained  at  that  time  a  large  territory, 
larger  than  all  of  Sullivan  Co.  now.  It  was  so  named  on  account  of  its  terri- 
tory being  a  great  range  for  elk  long  before  the  township  was  erected  :  it  was 
known  as  "  The  Elklands."  A  small  lake  in  this  township  bears  the  name 
Elk  Lake.  Joel  McCarty,  one  of  the  early  settlers,  saw  at  one  time  seventeen 
^lk  in  this  lake.  He  shot  some,  I  cannot  say  how  many.  This  was  about 
ninety  or  ninety-five  years  ago.  Wm.  J.  Eldred,  Esq.,  who  died  in  1888, 
aged  82  years,  and  was  born  here,  often  told  me  of  seeing  a  drove  of  four- 
teen elk  as  he  was  traveling  along  the  "Old  Gennessee "  road  which  leads 
over  the  mountain  from  here  to  what  is  now  Towanda.  As  near  as  I  can 
tell,  this  was  eighty  years  ago.  Chas.  Mullen  killed  at  least  one  elk  in  this 
township. 

The  last  elk  killed  in  this  region  (Sullivan,  Bradford  and  Lycoming  Cos.), 
was  killed  near  Ringdale,  Sullivan  Co.  [on  the  south  branch  of  Loyalsock 
Creek],  about  1830,  by  Messrs.  Wilcox  and  Northrop  (presumably  Sheff.  Wil- 
cox).  They  started  him  near  New  Albany,  Bradford  Co.,  and  chased  him, 
the  snow  being  deep,  they  wearing  snow  shoes. 

"  I  know  of  no  specimens  left  here.     When   a  boy  one  of  my  uncles  had 


46  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

a  pair  of  antlers.     These  were  the  only  pair  I  ever  saw  that  came  off  elk  that 
ranged  the  hills  of  Sullivan. 

"  Yours  very  truly,  ULYSSES  BIRD-" 

Susquehanna  Co. — Place-names,  two  Elk  Lakes  in  southwestern  part  of 
Co.  and  Elk  Mt.  in  southeastern  part.  "  Now  and  then  an  elk  was  seen  in 
Ararat  Twp."  (p.  480).  Near  Harmony  (northeastern  Twp.)  in  1820  John 
Wrighter  "  has  seen  from  30  to  40  elk  at  one  time  near  his  home,  with  horns 
so  large  they  appeared  like- immense  chairs  on  their  heads  "  (p.  484).  Clif- 
ford township  "  was  long  known  as  the  '  Elkwood's  Settlement,'  the  township 
as  well  as  the  mountain  being  the  home  of  the  elk  in  great  numbers." — E. 
Blackman,  Hist.  Susq.  Co.,  1873. 

Tioga  Co. — "  Samuel  Wedge  of  Miles  Valley  was  one  of  a  party  which  in 
1858  or  '59  caught  3  elks  alive  in  Tioga  Co.,  and  brought  them  to  Wells- 
boro." — Mrs.  J.  H.  Harmon  of  Wellsboro.  See  also  fantea)  under  Lycom- 
ing  Co. 

Venango  Co. — "  I  can  find  no  record  that  the  elk  or  wapiti  have  been  seen 
or  killed  [in  Venango  Co?]  in  the  last  30  years." — H.  C.  Dorworth,  1901. 

Wayne  Co. — It  is  stated  in  Goodrich's  History  of  Wayne  Co.  (Bethany, 
1880)  that  the  wapiti  was  never  very  numerous  in  that  county.  Their 
favorite  haunt  lay  in  a  tract  of  1 1,526  acres  in  the  township  of  Canaan,  called 
Elk  Forest.  Asa  Stanton  of  Waymart  is  said  to  have  (in  1880)  the  horns  of 
one  killed  in  Canaan  township.  The  last  one  heard  of  was  in  1830.  The 
last  one  killed  in  Wayne  Co.  was  taken  "about  60  years  ago  "  [1839  or  '40]. 
— Elijah  Teeple  (letter  of  Nov.,  1899). 

York  Co. — Several  foot  bones  and  the  head  of  a  femur  of  the  wapiti  were 
taken  from  surface  excavations  made  by  Atreus  Wanner  on  an  Indian  village 
site  at  York  several  years  ago.  I  examined  these  specimens  in  the  Museum 
of  Science  and  Art,  University  of  Penna.,  Phila.  They  were  identified  by 
Prof.  E.  D.  Cope,  and  undoubtedly  had  been  the  accompaniment  of  an  In- 
dian feast  in  comparatively  recent  times. — S.  N.  Rhoads,  1902. 

For  other  records  see  list  of  "  fossil  species." 

Records  in  N.  J. — Bergen  and  Hudson  Cos. — In  Vanderdonck's  New  Neth- 
erlands, buffaloes  and  elk  are  enumerated  as  being  found  on  the  western 
shores  (or  territory)  of  New  York  Bay,  when  discovered  by  Hudson. — Rhoads. 

{Burlington  Co.?} — "  There  are  great  numbers  of  wild  deer  [-Virginia  deer] 
and  red  deer  [-wapiti]  also,  and  these  wild  creatures  are  free  and  common 
[property]  for  any  to  take  and  kill."  See  Gabriel  Thomas'  Hist,  of  WTest  N. 
J.,  1698,  p.  23.  See  also  (antea)  Kalm's  evidence,  under  eastern  Penna. 
records. 

(  Cape  May  Col.}, — In  Plantagenet's  New  Albion  (1648)  is  quoted  a  letter 
of  "Master  Evelyn,"  who  says  in  connection  with  a  description  of  the  shores 
of  Delaware  Bay  in  Cape  May  Co. :  "  There  is  much  variety  of  ...  fish, 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  47 

whales  and  grampus,  elks,  deere  that  bring  three  young  at  a  time."  See 
Geology  of  Cape  May  Co. — Cook,  1857. 

Mercer  Co, — "Various  bones  of  elk  from  aboriginal  refuse  heaps  near 
Trenton  are  in  the  Peabody  Museum  of  Archaeology  at  Cambridge,  Massa- 
chusetts."— Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott. 

Sussex  and  Warren  Cos. — "  A  hunter  near  Delaware  Gap,  N.  J.,  declared 
that  his  grandfather,  who  '  killed  the  last  elk  shot  in  Pike  county,'  Pennsylva- 
nia, stated  that  sometimes  the  hounds  would  drive  both  elk  and  deer  across 
the  Delaware  River  onto  Kittanning  Mountain." — See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad. 
Nat.  Sci.,  1897,  p.  25. 

Family  BOVID^E  ;  Oxen,  Sheep  and  Goats. 

Genus  Bison  Hamilton  Smith. 
American  Bison  or  Buffalo.    Bison  bison  (Linnaeus). 

1758.  [Bos~\  bison  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i.  p.  72.  • 

1888.     B[tson~\  bison  Jordan,  Manual  Vertebrate  Animals,  p.  337. 

Type  locality. — Mountains  of  S.  E.  United  States. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Lowlands  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  and  from  the  Great  Lakes  and  Saskatchewan  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
near  lat.  25°  occasionally  wandering  from  these  into  the  foothills  and  passes 
of  the  Rocky  and  Alleghenian  mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  Jf. — No  record  of  the  existence  of  the 
bison  in  New  Jersey  in  recent  times,  save  the  one  given  by  Vanderdonck 
(1.  c.),  has  been  found.  Its  sub-fossil  remains  have  been  found  near  Trenton, 
as  also  in  the  Delaware  valley  near  the  Water  Gap  in  Penna.,  indicating  the 
ancient  proximity  of  its  eastern  wanderings  to  New  Jersey  soil  and  the  possi- 
bility of  its  fortuitous  presence  in  that  state  during  the  age  of  the  Red  Man. 

In  Pennsylvania  once  normally  found  in  the  valleys  and  mountain  glades 
of  the  Ohio,  Monongahela  and  Allegheny  Rivers,  whence  it  passed  sparingly 
eastward  across  the  Allegheny  passes  into  the  tributary  valleys  of  the  Susque- 
hanna,  thence  reaching  the  Delaware  Valley  as  a  straggler  only.  For  a  fuller 
discussion  of  this,  see  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1895,  PP-  244~ 
248;  also  1897,  p.  207. 

Records  in  Pa. — Armstrong  Co. — Two  townships  in  the  southwestern 
corner  and  a  creek  flowing  through  them  into  the  Allegheny  River  are  named 
Buffalo. 

Bedford  Co. — A  creek,  a  mountain  and  a  mill-village  near  each  other  in 
the  west-central  part  of  Co.  have  this  name. 

Butler  Co.— The  southeastern  corner  of  this  Co.  is  named  Buffalo  town- 


48  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

ship.     It  adjoins  the  township  of  the  same  name  in  Armstrong  Co.,  and  a 
bend  of  Buffalo  Creek  intersects  it. 

Centre  Co. — Buffalo  Run  flows  north  along  the  Bald  Eagle  range  in  the 
central  part  of  this  county. — Rhoads. 

Clcarfield  Co. — The  region  of  Clearfield  Creek  was  so  named  (and  from  it 
the  county)  because  "  the  buffaloes  formerly  cleared  large  tracts  of  under- 
growth so  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  cleared  fields." — See  Rev.  John  Ett- 
wein's  "  Notes  of  Travel  from  the  north  branch  of  the  Susquehanna  to 
Beaver,  Pa."  in  1772,  in  the  Pa.  Mag.  Hist,  for  1901,  published  by  the  His- 
torical Society  of  Pa. — Jordan. 

Crawford  and  Erie  Cos. — In  a  History  of  this  Co.  (1885,  p.  260),  a 
quotation  is  given  from  a  French  memoir  written  in  1714  stating,  "Buffalos 
are  found  on  the  south  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  but  not  on  the  north  shore." — 
Kirkpatrick.  "  Buffalos  ranged  south  from  Buffalo,  N.  York  through  Erie, 
Crawford,  Venango  and  Mercer  Cos.  French  Creek,  draining  this  region  in 
Pa.,  was  called  by  the  French  before  the  revolution  '  La  Bouffe  River '  be- . 
cause  of  the  buffaloes  found  there." — Irwin.  A  township  in  southern  Erie 
Co.  where  French  Creek  (Le  Boeuf  Creek)  in  part  has  its  rise  is  still  named 
Le  Boeuf;  also  a  village  in  the  same  township  and  the  most  northern  affluent 
of  the  same  creek  in  Green  Twp. — Rhoads. 

"The  Onondargo  [Lake,  N.  York]  which  has  a  portage  communication 
with  [the  sources  of  the  Allegheny]  River,  is  a  fine  lake  of  brackish  water, 
surrounded  by  springs,  from  two  to  five  hundred  gallons  of  the  water  of  which 
make  a  bushel  of  salt.  *  *  All  the  [domestic]  animals  of  those  parts  have 
a  great  fondness  for  salt.  The  native  animals  of  the  country,  too,  as  the 
buffalo,  elk,  deer,  etc.,  are  well  known  to  pay  periodical  visits  to  the  saline 
springs  and  lakes,  bathing  and  washing  in  them,  and  bathing  in  the  water  till 
they  are  hardly  able  to  remove  from  their  vicinity.  The  best  roads  to  the 
Onondargo  from  all  parts  are  the  buffalo  tracks,  so  called  from  having  been 
observed  to  be  made  by  the  buffaloes  in  their  annual  visitations  to  the  lake 
from  their  pasture  grounds ;  and  though  this  is  a  distance  of  above  two  hun- 
dred miles,  the  best  surveyors  could  not  have  chosen  a  more  direct  course  or 
firmer  or  better  ground.  I  have  often  traveled  these  tracks  with  safety  and 
admiration.  *  *  An  old  man,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  this  country 
[Northeastern  Pa.,  presumably  Erie  Co.],  built  his  log-house  on  the  immedi- 
ate borders  of  a  salt  spring.  He  informed  me  that  for  the  first  several  seasons 
the  buffaloes  paid  him  their  visits  with  the  utmost  regularity ;  they  traveled  in 
single  files  always  following  each  other  at  equal  distances,  forming  droves  on 
their  arrival,  of  about  three  hundred  each.  The  first  and  second  years,  so 
unacquainted  were  these  poor  brutes  with  this  man's  house  or  with  his  nature, 
that  in  a  few  hours  they  rubbed  the  house  completely  down,  taking  delight  in 
turning  the  logs  of  wood  off  with  their  horns,  while  he  had  some  difficulty  to 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  49 

escape  from  being  trampled  under  their  feet  or  crushed  to  death  in  his  own 
ruins.  At  that  period  he  supposed  there  could  not  have  been  less  than  ten 
thousand  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  spring.  They  sought  for  no  manner  of 
food  but  only  bathed  and  drank  three  or  four  times  a  day  and  rolled  in  the 
earth,  or  reposed,  with  their  flanks  distended,  in  the  adjacent  shades,  and  on 
the  fifth  and  sixth  days  separated  into  distinct  droves,  bathed,  drank,  and  de- 
parted in  single  files,  according  to  the  exact  order  of  their  arrival.  They  all 
rolled  successively  in  the  same  hole  and  each  thus  carried  away  a  coat  of 
mud  to  preserve  the  moisture  on  their  skin,  and  which  when  hardened  and 
baked  by  the  sun,  would  resist  the  stings  of  millions  of  insects  that  otherwise 
would  persecute  these  peaceful  travelers  to  madness  or  even  death. 

"  In  the  first  and  second  years  this  old  man  with  some  companions  killed 
from  six  to  seven  hundred  of  these  noble  creatures,  merely  for  the  sake  of  the 
skins,  which  to  them  were  worth  only  two  shillings  each,  and  after  this  'work 
of  death  '  they  were  obliged  to  leave  the  place  till  the  following  season,  or  till 
the  wolves,  bears,  panthers,  eagles,  rooks,  ravens,  etc.,  had  devoured  the  car- 
casses, and  abandoned  the  place  for  other  prey.  In  the  two  following  years, 
the  same  persons  killed  great  numbers  out  of  the  first  droves  that  arrived, 
skinned  them,  and  left  the  bodies  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air ;  but  they  soon  had 
reason  to  repent  of  this ;  for  the  remaining  droves,  as  they  came  up  in  succes- 
sion, stopped,  gazed  on  the  mangled  and  putrid  bodies,  sorrowfully  moaned  or 
furiously  lowed  aloud,  and  returned  instantly  to  the  wilderness  in  an  unusual 
run,  without  tasting  their  favorite  spring  or  licking  the  impregnated  earth, 
which  was  also  once  their  most  agreeable  occupation  ;  nor  did  they,  or  any  of 
their  race,  ever  revisit  the  neighborhood." — Ashe,  Travels  in  America  in  1806. 
N.  York,  1811,  pp.  47,  48. 

Cumberland  Co. — Prof.  Baird  records  finding  bones  of  bison  in  caves  near 
Carlisle  in  the  Patent  Office  Reports  of  1851,  but  on  inquiry  from  Dr.  J.  A. 
Allen  stated  he  could  not  be  sure  that  these  were  of  B.  bison  without  re-ex- 
amination.— See  Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1895,  p.  244. 

Elk  Co. — "  Running  from  the  southeast  corner  of  Warren  Co.  through  Mc- 
Kean  Co.'s  southwest  corner  and  as  far  as  Daguscahonda  [central  Elk  Co.], 
was  the  old  Buffalo  Swamp."— See  Hist.  Elk  Co.,  Chicago,  1890,  p.  573. 
This  tract  was  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Clarion  and  Allegheny  Rivers,  form- 
ing an  elevated  and  extensive  meeting  place  for  the  herds  passing  from  one 
water  shed  to  another  in  their  circuit  of  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  state. 
It  would  also  form  a  northern  rendezvous  from  which  occasional  herds  or 
individuals  may  have  strayed  into  the  valley  of  the  Susquehanna.  Owing, 
however,  to  the  absence  of  any  record  of  them  in  Cameron,  Clinton,  and 
Potter  Cos.,  this,  if  ever,  was  a  rare  occurrence,  the  buffaloes  of  Centre, 
Union  and  Perry  Cos.  coming  east  by  way  of  Clearfield  Co.,  or  northeast  by 
way  of  the  Juniata  via  the  Bedford  and  Somerset  Co.  passes  from  the 
Youghiogheny  and  Conemaugh. — Rhoads. 


50  MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Luzerne  Co. — The  first  and  third  lower  molars  of  a  bison  mounted  together 
on  a  card  are  in  the  collection  of  the  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  These  are 
labeled  by  Dr.  J.  Leidy  as  coming  "  With  the  fossil  teeth  [of  horse,  musk  ox> 
etc.]  from  [Pittston]  Luzerne  Co.,  but  apparently  more  recent  Bison  ameri- 
canus."  I  have  compared  these  with  teeth  of  recent  bison  and  find  them 
specifically  identical. — See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1895,  pp. 
245,  246. 

MeKean  Co. — See  above,  under  Elk  Co. 

Mercer  Co. — A  bison  horn  was  found  in  this  Co.  in  i  795,  according  to  B^ 
S.  Stokley  in  Memoirs  Histor.  Soc.  Penna.,  vol.  4,  p.  77.  This  indicates  that 
the  bison  had  been  exterminated  in  its  former  haunts  in  northwestern  Pa. 
long  before  the  last  one  was  killed  in  Union  Co.  in  the  central  part  of  the 
state.  Undoubtedly  the  last  isolated  remnants  of  this  species  lingered  many 
years  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  Allegheny  wilderness,  cut  off  completely  from 
the  haunts  of  their  western  ancestors  by  the  early  colonizing  of  the  Ohio  Val- 
ley.— Rhoads.  See  also  under  Crawford  and  Erie  Cos. 

Monroe  Co. — A  fragment  of  the  mandible  of  a  bison  about  four  inches  long, 
containing  the  alveoli  of  two  missing  molars  and  the  last  lower  molar  intact, 
was  found  in  Hartman's  Cave  near  Stroudsburg,  about  3  miles  from  the 
famous  Gap  of  the  Delaware  River.  Leidy  figured  this  in  the  Report  of  the 
Pa.  Geolog.  Survey  for  1887,  identifying  it  as  belonging  to  the  "bison,  B. 
atnericanus  "  [=  B.  bison\.  "The  crown  of  the  tooth  has  apparently  been 
charred  and  crumbled  by  fire  in  the  same  manner  as  other  bones  from  this 
cave  which  surrounded  and  lay  within  the  site  of  an  ancient  fire  place  in  the 
superficial  layers  of  the  cave  floor."  The  ramus  itself  "  is  unburnt  and  is 
apparently  of  the  same  recent  (unfossilized)  age  as  the  remains  of  the  fox, 
wolf  and  deer  associated  therewith.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  considering 
Leidy's  identification  correct,  and  from  the  character  of  the  ethnological  re- 
mains found  in  the  same  cave  and  the  appearance  of  the  bone  itself,  would 
judge  it  had  formed  part  of  the  feast  of  a  Delaware  Indian  [or  some  wild 
beast]  in  comparatively  recent  times." — See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,. 
Phila.,  1895,  p.  246. 

Perry  Co. — The  following  place  names  indicate  the  most  authentic  south- 
ern range  of  the  buffalo  on  the  Susquehanna  (see  antea  under  Cumberland 
Co.).  They  are  all  located  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Co.,  near  the  junction 
of  the  Juniata  River  with  the  Susquehanna.  Owing  to  their  number  and  the 
topographical  features  of  their  location  it  is  obvious  that  buffaloes  were  a 
characteristic  feature  of  this  spot,  probably  crossing  the  Susquehanna  here  by 
way  of  Haldeman's  Island  into  the  mountains  of  Dauphin  Co.,  on  their 
easterly  migrations  from  the  Ohio  watershed.  The  names  are  Buffalo  Town- 
ship, B.  Bridge,  B.  Creek  and  New  Buffalo.— Rhoads. 

Somerset  Co. — A  B.  Bridge  on  B.  Creek  is  located  in  the  south  central  part, 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  5! 

in  Brother's  Valley  Twp.  B.  Creek  is  a  tributary  of  Castleman's  River  near 
where  it  reaches  the  great  divide  of  the  Allegheny  Mts.  opposite  the  sources 
of  the  Juniata.  There  is  a  noted  Elk  Lick  here  near  the  Maryland  boundary 
to  which  the  buffaloes  undoubtedly  resorted,  passing  thence  over  the  divide 
eastward  toward  Buffalo  Mountain  in  Bedford  Co.  They  may  have  also  used 
the  more  northerly  pass  by  which  the  B.  &  O.  railroad  reaches  Castleman's 
River,  going  west. — Rhoads.  "  I  am  sure  of  one  thing,  the  buffalo  disap- 
peared from  the  Co.  before  the  Indian  was  driven  westward.  I  suppose  it  is 
approximately  true  that  the  buffalo  must  have  left  the  Co.  some  time  preced- 
ing Braddock's  defeat  in  1755." — R.  Smith  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  H.  D.  Moore. 

Union  Co. — "  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  whose  excellent  Memoir  on  the  American 
Bisons,*  furnishes  the  best  data  on  this  subject,  has  conclusively  proved  its 
existence  up  to  the  beginning  of  the  igth  Century,  as  far  east  as  Buffalo  Val- 
ley, near  Lewisburg,  in  Union  Co.  The  last  buffalo  killed  in  that  region  was 
shot  by  Col.  John  Kelly,  'about  1790  or  1800,'  on  the  McClister  farm  ad- 
joining his  own,  and  situate  in  Kelly  Twp.,  about  5  miles  from  Lewisburg. 
Col.  Kelly  stated  that  an  old  Indian  named  Logan  informed  him  of  the  for- 
mer abundance  of  buffaloes  in  this  valley." — See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat. 
Sci.,  Phila.,  1895,  p.  244.  Buffalo  Valley  occupies  an  extensive  area  of  east 
central  Union  Co.,  surrounding  Lewisburg  and  fronting  on  the  Susquehanna 
for  many  miles,  reaching  back  to  B.  Mountain  by  way  of  B.  Creek  and  Little 

B.  Creek,  through  three  townships,  East  B.,  West  B.,  and  Buffalo.     A  place 
named  B.  Cross-roads  is  located  in  the  same  region.     In  Scull's  noted  map 
of  Pa.  published  in  1750,  a  "  Buffalow  Creek  "  is  practically  the  only  geog- 
raphical name  given  in  what  is  now  Union  Co.     This  is  significant  as  show- 
ing the  ancient  origin  of  the  present  name,  indicating  it  as  the  principal 
route  by  which  the  buffaloes  crossed  from  the  three  main  branches  of  the 
Susquehanna  valley  to  and  from  the  mountain  wilderness  of  Union  and  Centre 
Cos. — Rhoads. 

Venango  Co. — See  antea,  under  Erie  Co. 

Washington  Co. — In  the  west-central  part  of  this  Co.  is  a  B.  township,  in 
which  lies  the  source  of  a  B.  Creek  flowing  into  the  Ohio  River. — Rhoads. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Bergen  and  Hudson  Cos. — In  Vanderdonck's  "  New 
Netherlands,"  both  the  buffalo  and  elk  are  stated  to  have  been  inhabitants  of 
the  parts  of  New  Jersey  opposite  New  York  when  Hudson  discovered  that 
region. — Rhoads. 

Mercer  Co. — A  scapula  and  pelvis  of  recent  bison  (so  identified  by  Prcf. 
E.  D.  Cope)  were  discovered  in  Indian  refuse  heaps  near  Trenton  by  Dr.  C. 

C.  Abbott.     They  are  now  in  the  Peabody  Archeological  Museum,  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. — Abbott,  1900. 

*  Mem.  Mus.  Compar.  Zool.,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  1876. 


52  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Order  GLIRES  ;   Rodents  or  Gnawers. 

Family  SCIURIIX*:  :  Squirrels. 

Genus  Scuirus  Linnaeus,  Systemae  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  63. 
Carolina  Gray  Squirrel.     Sciurus  carolinensis  Gmelin. 

1788.  \_Sciurus\  carolinensis  Gmelin,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  148. 

Type  locality. — "  Carolina." 

fauna/  distribution. — Upper  and  lower  Austral  zones,  from  New  York  Bay 
and  the  Ohio  "Valley  to  the  northern  part  of  the  Gulf  States. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — The  more  typical  southern  form  of  caro- 
linensis is  only  found  in  southermost  N.  J.,  where  it  is  quite  rare  and  very 
local  in  its  occurrence.  In  other  parts  of  the  upper  Austral  regions  of  the 
two  states  it  is  evenly  distributed,  but  nowhere  abundant  as  in  former  days. 
In  the  mountain  foothills  it  merges  into  the  Canadian  sub-species  leucotis. 
Specimens  from  the  mountains  of  northern  N.  J.  belong  more  properly  to 
that  form. 

Description  aud  habits  of  species. — This  animal  is  so  well  known  as  to  need 
no  further  comment,  except  to  call  attention  to  its  differences  of  color  and 
size  from  the  northern  race.  These  are  given  under  the  next  species.  The 
"  black  phase  "  of  pelage,  so  common  to  leucotis  is  of  only  accidental  occur- 
rence in  carolinensis.  I  have  heard  of  the  following  records  of  this  phase  : 

Lancaster  Co.,  Pa. — See  Rathvon's  History  of  the  Co.,  1869,  p.  SOT. 

Chester  Co.,  Pa. — One  was  seen  by  my  schoolmate,  Henry  Zook,  previous 
to  the  year  1876. — Rhoads. 

Mercer  Co.,  N.J. — Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott  has  known  of  them  being  taken  many 
years  ago  near  Trenton.  I  never  saw  nor  heard  of  the  black  squirrel  in  my 
travels  in  northern  N.  J. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Northern  Gray  or  Black  Squirrel.  Sciurus  carolinensis  leucotis 
(Gapper). 

1830.  Sciurus  leucotis  Gapper,  Zoological  Journal,  vol.  5,  p.  206. 

1877.  Sciurus  carolinensis  var.  leucotis  Allen,  Monograph  N.  American 
Rodentia,  p.  701. 

Type  locality. — Region  between  York  and  Lake  Simcoe,  Ontario,  Canada. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Transition  and  Canadian  life  zones ; 
abundant  in  nut-bearing  forests,  but  avoiding  areas  monopolized  by  coni- 
ferous trees.  Owing  to  the  almost  universal  destruction  of  conifers  and  their 
replacement  by  deciduous  growth  this  species  is  now  found  in  extensive 
Canadian  areas  once  dominated  exclusively  by  the  Red  or  Pine  Squirrel. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  53 

Records  in  Pa. — The  following  records  have  been  secured  chiefly  with  the 
view  of  determining  the  numerical  proportions  of  the  normal  "gray  "  and  the 
melanistic  (abnormal?)  "  black  "  phases  of  color  in  this  species,  and  how  the 
ratio  of  "  blacks  "  increase  as  we  approach  the  Canadian  life  zone. 

Cameron  Co. — Grays  and  black  equally  divided  in  1896. — Larrabee. 
Black  as  numerous  as  gray  in  1899. — Hays. 

Cambria  Co. — Blacks  never  as  plenty  as  grays. — Shields. 

Centre  Co. — Blacks  occasional  in  this  Co.  in  1899. — Rothrock.  Black  are 
rare  but  gray  abundant  in  1900. — Fernald. 

Clearfield  Co. — Blacks  as  numerous  a  gray  in  1899. — Hays. 

Clinton  Co. — Blacks  as  numerous  as  gray  in  1899. — Hays.  Black  phase 
rare  south  of  Elk  and  Clinton  Cos. — Todd.  Blacks  less  numerous  than  the 
gray  in  1901. — Pfoutz.  Sometimes  black  outnumber  grays  3  to  i,  and  some- 
times grays  seem  more  numerous. —  Nelson.  During  two  trips  into  the  region 
north  of  Round  Island,  covering  about  5  weeks'  hunting,  I  saw  about  half  a 
dozen  squirrels  of  this  species,  one  of  which  was  intense  black,  another 
smoky  gray ;  the  rest  normal  gray.  They  are  rare  on  the  mountain  tops  and 
were  not  abundant  anywhere  in  the  spring  of  1896  and  fall  of  1898. — 
Rhoads. 

Columbia  Co. — Rare  of  late  years  (1899)  ;  about  i  black  to  100  gray. — 
Buckalew. 

Crawford  Co. — Blacks  numerous  near  Titusville  in  1900. — Price.  A  few 
seen  every  year  but  less  common  now  than  gray  (in  1900).  In  the  History 
of  Crawford  Co.  it  is  stated  that  the  black  squirrels  were  so  common  as  to 
be  a  pest,  the  gray  squirrel  not  appearing  till  the  country  was  settled. — Kirk- 
pat  rick. 

Elk  Co.— Black  phase  rare  south  of  Elk  Co. — Todd.  Black  and  gray 
plenty  in  Elk  Co.  in  1899. — Luhr.  Black  numerous,  gray  rarely  seen  in 
1899. — Clay.  Black  as  numerous  as  gray  in  1899. — Hays. 

Erie  Co. — Black  and  gray  evenly  divided.     Both  scarce  in  1899. — Bacon. 

Forest  Co. — Black  often  seen;  more  plenty  than  gray  in  1900. — Zendle. 
Blacks  are  abundant  in  1900. — Haslet.  Abundant  in  certain  years;  not  as 
plently  as  gray  in  1900. — Irwin. 

Franklin  Co. — A  specimen  of  black  squirrel  is  in  my  collection  shot  by 
Amos  Light  near  Williamson,  Oct.  15,  1897.  It  was  sent  by  my  kind  friend 
W.  B.  Crawford,  who,  with  Dr.  M.  W.  Strealy  of  Chambersburg,  had  been 
endeavoring  to  secure  one  for  years  in  the  South  Mountain  region,  where 
they  are  very  rare,  though  the  grays  are  unusually  abundant. — Rhoads. 

Huntingdon  Co. — Not  many  black  at  Mt.  Union  in  1896,  but  several  are 
killed  in  the  Co.  every  year. — Ingersoll. 

Lackawanna  Co. — Blacks  rather  rare.  Have  a  specimen  stuffed,  from  La 
Plume.  Five  specimens  have  been  brought  to  me  in  as  many  years,  1895  to 
1900. — Friant. 


54  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

Luzerne  Co.— Some  blacks  are  taken  each  season  in  this  Co.  Three  were 
brought  into  Pittston,  Oct.  20,  1899. — Campbell.  Only  know  of  one  taken 
in  Luzerne  Co. — It  was  sent  to  me. — Stocker. 

Lycoming  Co. — Not  as  many  black  as  gray,  but  numerous. — Parker. 

McKean  Co. — Black  phase  plentiful.  Ten  times  as  many  blacks  as  grays. 
W.  C.  Dickinson,  1901. 

Monroe  Co. — Saw  a  black  fellow  2  years  ago  (1897).  Rare  in  this  Co. — 
Bisbing. 

Pike  Co. — Blacks  occasional. — Rothrock. 

Potter  Co. — Plenty  of  blacks.     Grays  seldom  seen  here. — Austin. 

Somerset  Co. — Blacks  rare ;  one  shot  in  Shade  township,  Oct.,  1899. — Mc- 
Henry.  Blacks  rare  in  this  Co. — Moore,  1900. 

Sullivan  Co. — Blacks  often  seen,  but  not  as  plenty  as  gray. — Bennett,  1901. 
About  i  in  every  12  is  black. — Behr,  1900. 

Susquehanna  Co. — I  had  2  blacks  taken  there  in  Nov.,  1898. — Campbell. 

Tioga  Co. — Still  plenty,  but  fewer  than  the  gray  in  1899. — Babcock. 
Numerous,  but  less  so  than  gray  in  1899. — Cleveland. 

Union  Co. — No  blacks  killed  (to  his  knowledge)  in  the  Co.  for  12  years. 
Chambers,  1900. 

Venango  Co. — Blacks  plentiful  in  northeastern  part  of  Co.  "I  hunted 
squirrels  [there]  with  father  40  years  and  blacks  always  exceeded  grays  in 
number." — Dorworth,  1900. 

Washington  Co. — See  a  black  occasionally. — Linton,  1900. 

Wayne  Co. — Rather  rarely  see  a  black.  Never  as  common  as  gray  here. 
— Goodnough,  1900.  Have  had  several  blacks  to  mount  from  Wayne  Co. — 
Stocker,  1900.  Very  few  here. — Kellew,  1900.  Some  left  here. — Teeple, 
1900.  Very  rare;  have  seen  none  for  years, — Day,  1900.  Occasional  and 
decreasing.  Ratio  in  1900,  i  black  to  75  grays;  30  years  ago  ratios  nearly 
equal. — Stevens. 

Wyoming  Co. — "I  killed  two  last  fall  (1899)  against  30  or  40  grays." — 
Robinson. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Passaic  Co. — "Very  rarely  met  with  [in  N.  J.].  Have 
seen  but  two  specimens,  both  taken  in  Passaic  Co.  in  December,  1860." — 
Abbott,  in  Geol.  of  N.  J.,  1868,  p.  756. 

Remarks. — While  a  study  of  the  foregoing  data  gives  little  light  on  the 
cause  of  melanism  in  these  squirrels,  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  there  seems 
to  be  a  diminution  of  the  relative  number  of  blacks  as  the  country  becomes 
deforested  and  settled  upon.  This  may  be  the  result  ( i)  of  a  change  in  clima- 
tological  conditions  unfavorable  to  melanism  or  (2)  of  the  inability  of  a  black 
squirrel  to  escape  the  increasing  number  of  hunters  so  easily  as  a  gray 
squirrel,  owing  to  its  conspicuous  color.  In  regard  to  the  first  suggestion  it 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  55 

may  be  added  that  the  midday  summer  temperature  of  these  deforested 
subcanadian  areas  where  the  blacks  were  once  so  numerous  is  greatly  in- 
creased above  that  of  primeaval  conditions  and  may  have  been  the  cause  of 
mortality  among  them,  the  greater  exposure  to  the  sum  being  much  more 
detrimental  to  a  black  animal  than  a  gray  one.  In  regard  to  the  second 
theory  it  may  be  also  said  that  the  natural  enemies  of  the  black  squirrel  would 
derive  the  same  peculiar  advantage  in  its  capture  through  deforestation 
and  consequent  exposure  as  would  man  himself.  In  a  word,  the  original 
status  of  the  black  gray  squirrel  is  dependent  on  an  environment  combining 
the  climate  and  flora  of  the  Upper  Transition  and  Lower  Canadian  life  zones, 
in  which  coniferous  and  nut- bearing  trees  were  normally  in  the  proportion  of 
about  ten  to  one.  As  these  conditions  through  human  agency  revert  to  those 
of  the  Lower  Transition  and  Upper  Austral  zones,  with  a  corresponding 
increase  in  population,  the  ratio  of  blacks  to  grays  decreases. 

Historic  references. — "  Squirrels  came  down  [into  the  lowlands]  from  the 
higher  countries  into  [eastern]  Pennsylvania  at  certain  seasons.  The  inhabi- 
tants attribute  this  to  the  coming  of  a  rigorous  winter." — Kalm's  Travels,  p. 
316.  Kalm  does  not  share  this  opinion,  as  the  year  he  was  in  Pa.  (autumn 
of  1749)  when  such  a  migration  took  place,  it  was  a  mild  winter.  He  thinks 
it  caused  by  the  scarcity  of  nuts  in  one  place  and  their  abundance  in  another. 
On  page  320  he  says  that  from  January,  1749,  to  January,  1750,  Pennsylvania 
paid  bounties  to  lessen  the  squirrel  pest  at  the  rate  of  3  pence  a  head ;  8,000 
being  so  paid  !  The  bounty  was  then  reduced  one-half.  See  also,  Watson's 
Annals,  in  which  both  gray  and  black  squirrels  are  mentioned.  In  Ord's 
Zoology  (Guthrie's  Geography,  2nd  Amer.  Ed.,  1815,  p.  292)  he  names  the 
black  phase  of  Gray  Squirrel  as  "Small  Black  Squirrel,  Sciurus  pennsylvanica" 
and  in  a  foot  note  he  says,  "This  has  always  been  confounded  with  the  fore- 
going [gray  squirrel],  but  it  is  a  different  species.  It  abounds  in  those  parts 
of  Pennsylvania  which  lie  to  the  westward  of  the  Allegheny  ridge."*  This  is 
of  interest  as  showing  that  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
black  squirrel  was,  as  now,  more  typical  of  northwestern  Pa.  than  of  any  other 
part  of  the  state.  On  the  same  page  Ord  describes  and  names  the  "  New 
Jersey  Squirrel  Sciurus  hiemalis"  from  Tuckerton,  as  being  distinguished  by 
its  "  bearded  ears."  This  name  is  a  synonym  of  carolinensis. 

Description  of  Species. — From  the  common  tawny  colored  gray  squirrel  of 
the  south  Atlantic  lowlands,  the  northern  form  leucotis  is  distinguished  by 
greater  size  and  a  purer  gray  or  silvery  color  at  all  seasons,  not  intermixed  or 
tipped  above  with  reddish  or  tawny  as  in  carolinensis.  Largest  individuals 
often  approach  the  fox  squirrel  in  size,  being  2  to  3  inches  longer  than  full 

*  Ord's  name  being  earlier  than  leucotis  would  have  held  good  for  the  northern  gray 
squirrel  had  he  given  a  description  of  it.  Lacking  this,  it  has  no  place  in  nomenclature. 


56  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

grown  carolinensis  from  southern  New  Jersey.  (See  under  "  Historic  refer- 
ences," antea,  for  Ord's  names  and  descriptions  of  both  forms.)  The  black 
phase  may  be  jet-black,  reddish-black  and  grayish-black,  intergrading  in  a 
large  series  into  typical  grays.  "Black  and  gray  young  are  found  in  the  same 
nest,  and  black  and  gray  adults  pair  promiscously  so  far  as  observed." — Nelson. 
Measurements  {carolinensis). — Total  length,  455  mm.  (18  in.)  ;  tail  vert., 
205  (8);  hind  foot,  60  (2^);  (leucotis)  500  (19^);  220  (8^);  70(2^). 

Canadian  Chickaree  or  Pine  Squirrel.  Sdurus  hudsonicus  gymnicus 
Bangs. 

1899.  Sdurus  hudsonicus  gymnicus  Bangs,  Proceedings  N.  England  Zoolog- 
ical Club,  vol.  i,  p.  28. 

Type  locality. — Near  Moosehead  Lake,  Maine. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian  life  zone,  west  from  Newfoundland  to 
Michigan  and  Minnesota. 

Distribution  in  Pa. — Only  found  in  the  "boreal  islands"  of  the  northern 
tier  of  counties  in  Pa.  Not  present  in  N.  J.  Miller  and  Bangs  *  limit  the 
distribution  of  gymnicus  southward  to  northern  New  York.  I  am  induced  to 
give  it  a  place  in  the  fauna  of  Pa.,  because  of  a  tendency  in  several  specimens 
from  the  denser  coniferous  forests  of  Sullivan,  Luzerne,  Clinton,  Cambria  and 
Somerset  Cos.  to  assume  the  character  of  gymnicus,  as  contrasted  with 
loquax  of  southern  N.  J. 

Description  of  Species. — As  now  defined,  the  typical  form,  hudsonicus,  is 
confined  to  Labrador.  Sub-species  gymnicus  differs  from  it  in  having  the 
color  darker  and  richer  and  the  border  of  tail  reddish  instead  of  yellowish  or 
grayish.  The  underparts  of  hudsonicus  and  gymnicus  are  gray  in  winter 
pelage,  while  in  our  next  sub-species,  loquax,  the  lower  parts  are  pure  white 
in  winter.  The  hind  foot  in  gymnicus  averages  3  millimeters  less  than  in  the 
other  two  forms.  In  the  Pa.  specimens  of  gymnicus  there  is  a  decided  de- 
parture in  the  greater  depth  of  color  of  upper  parts,  the  grayish  tinge  of  the 
belly  in  winter  and  the  undefined  character  of  the  so-called  dorsal  band,  from 
loquax  of  the  lower  Delaware  Valley.  On  these  accounts  it  would  better 
correlate  with  actual  conditions  if  the  southern  range  of  gymnicus  was  ex- 
tended to  the  Transition  border  of  the  Canadian  Life  Zone.  The  more  this 
question  is  examined  the  more  am  I  convinced  that  the  eastern  Chickaree 
does  not  merit  sub-division  into  more  than  two  geographic  races — hudsonicus 
inhabiting  the  Hudsonian  and  Canadian  Zones  with  gray  underparts  in 
winter,  and  loquax  the  Transition  and  Upper  Austral  with  underparts  always- 
white.  The  evident  inability  of  logically  or  geographically  defining  gymnicus 
is  patent  in  literature.  As  in  the  case  of  the  black  squirrel  there  has  been 

*  See  Bull.  N.  York  S.  Mus.,  1899,  vol.  6,  No.  29. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  57 

such  a  change  in  forest  conditions  where  gymnicus  was  once  found  in  Pa.  that 

it  may  soon  become  difficult  to  secure  anything  but  loquax  in  those  regions. 

Measurements  (gymnicus). — Total  length,  290  mm.  (n/4  in.) ;  tail  vert., 

120   (4%);  hind  foot,  44  (i?<);   (loquax)  315  (12^)  ;   130  (5^)  ;  47 

(1/8). 

Southeastern  Chickaree  or  Red  Squirrel.    Sciurus  hudsonicus  loquax 


Sciurus  hudsonicus  loquax  Bangs,  Proceedings  Biolog.  Society,  Washing- 
ton, vol.  10,  p.  161. 

Type  locality. — Liberty  Hill,  New  London  Co.,  Connecticut. 

Fauna!  distribution. — "  Deciduous  forests  of  the  Transition  and  Upper 
Austral  zones  of  the  eastern  United  States"  (fide  Miller).  See  foot-note 
under  6".  h.  gynmicus. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Abounding  everywhere  below  the  Canadian 
zone,  where  forests,  groves  or  private  grounds  afford  necessary  shelter  and 
food.  Semi-domesticated  in  some  towns  and  villages  and  becoming  a  pest 
on  account  of  its  robbery  of  birds'  nests.  Ever  persecuting,  and  said  to  de- 
stroy, the  Gray  Squirrel.  By  no  means  confined  to  deciduous  forests  but 
rather  preferring  pine  lands,  where  they  are  most  numerous  in  southern  and 
eastern  N.  J.  In  this  last  particular  I  must  take  exception  to  Miller's  re- 
striction of  their  habitat,  as  above  quoted. 

Description  of  species. — See  antea,  under  S.  h.  gymnicus. 

Western  Fox  Squirrel.     Sciurus  rufiventer  E.  Geoffrey. 

1803.  Sciurus  rufiventer  E.  Geoffrey,  Catalog.  Museum  d'  Histoire  Natur- 
elle,  p.  176. 

Type  locality. — New  Orleans,  Louisiana. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  Austral  and  Lower  Transition  zones  from  the 
Allegheny  Mountains  (western  base)  to  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Distribution  in  Pa. — Having  examined  no  specimens  from  Pa.  west  of  the 
Alleghanies,*  I  cannot  verify  the  probable  presence  of  this  form  in  extreme 
southwestern  Pa.  as  implied  by  Miller  in  his  Key  to  Mammals  of  N.  East 
N.  America,  p.  87,  where  he  says  it  occupies  the  Transition  and  Upper 
Austral  zones  of  "the  region  immediately  west  of  the  Alleghanies."  That 
the  fox  squirrel  was  found  in  this  region  is  well  established,  as  the  succeed- 
ing records  will  show.  It  is  probably  extinct  there  now,  though  there  is  a 
possibility  of  some  old  mounted  specimen  being  found  in  a  condition  which 
would  enable  us  to  decide  whether  typical  rufiventer  belongs  in  this  list. 

*  See  however  under  list  of  American  species  introduced  into  Pa.  and  N.  J. 


5  8  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Records  in  Pa.  —  Beaver  Co.  —  Said  to  have  been  taken  several  times  in 
B.  Co.  in  recent  years.  —  Todd,  1901. 

Washington  Co.  —  One  killed  near  the  capital  of  W.  Co.  about  1870. 
Once  numerous  ;  now  about  extinct.  —  Nease,  1900.  Seen  occasionally  in 
this  Co.  —  Linton,  1899. 

Description  of  species.  —  Size  not  much  greater  than  the  northern  gray 
squirrel  (S.  c.  leucotis},  much  smaller  than  the  southern  fox  squirrel  (S.  niger}. 
Ears  and  nose  never  white/  Colors  variable,  but  much  deeper  and  more 
ferruginous  than  in  the  next  sub-species  (S.  rufiventer  neglectus}  ;  sometimes 
wholly  black,  or  black-bellied  with  reddish  gray  upper  parts,  others  again  are 
orange  beneath.  In  S.  r.  neglectus  the  size  is  larger  than  in  rufiventer,  the 
belly  usually  white.  Wholly  black  individuals  of  neglectus  are  rare,  accord- 
ing to  Bangs. 

Measurements  (rufiventer}.  —  Total  lenth,  541  mm.  (21^  in.);  tail  ver- 
tebrae, 252  (10)  ;  hind  foot,  73.7  (2^)  ;  (neglectus}  590  '(23/i)  >  27° 
73  (*#)• 


Northeastern  Fox  Squirrel.     Sciurus  rufiventer  neglectus  (Gray). 

1867.  Macroxus  neglectus  Gray.  Annals  and  Magazine  N.  History,  3rd 
series,  vol.  20,  p.  425. 

1902.  Sciurus  rufiventer  neglectus,  Allen,  Bulletin  Amer.  Museum  Nat. 
History,  vol.  16,  p.  167. 

Type  locality.  —  Wilmington,  Delaware. 

Faunal  distribution.  —  "  The  northeastern  fox  squirrel  is  an  inhabitant  of  the 
Upper  Austral  zone  but  occasionally  wanders  into  the  Transition  zone."  — 
Miller.  Now  rarely  found  in  Pa.  except  in  the  Lower  Transition  zone. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J.  —  Once  found  over  all  parts  of  the  two  states 
except  in  the  Canadian  and  Upper  Transition  areas  of  the  mountains.  Prob- 
ably always  rarer  in  Chester  and  Delaware  Cos.  and  in  southern  N.  J.  than  in 
south  central  Pa.  and  northern  N.  J.  Now  exterminated  in  N.  J.  but  found 
occasionally  in  the  Pa.  counties  bordering  the  lower  Susquehanna,  also  yet 
recorded  from  the  northwestern  part  of  Pa.  Destined  to  extermination  in 
our  entire  limits  unless  large  areas  of  countiy  in  middle  Pa.  revert  to  a 
wilderness  condition  or  become  game  reservations  under  state  protection. 

Records  in  Pa.  —  Adams  Co.  —  Warren,  Poultry  Book,  p.  507. 

Cameron  Co.  —  Very  rare  ;  none  seen  for  years  in  Cameron  Co.  —  Larrabee. 
This  record  has  not  much  significance,  as  it  is  not  likely  that  the  fox  squirrel 
was  ever  found,  except  as  a  rare  straggler  after  the  coniferous  forests  became 
destroyed  in  the  counties  of  Pa.  which  lie  almost  wholly  within  the  Upper 
Transition  and  Canadian  life  zones.  See  negative  records  under  Clinton, 
Forest,  McKean,  Lycoming,  Potter,  Sullivan,  Tioga  and  Venango  Cos.  — 
Rhoads. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  59 

Clinton  Co. — Nelson's  record  of  3  killed  in  1894  (Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci., 
Phila.  1879,  P-  2I6)  is  wrong.  The  "fox  squirrels"  subsequently  sent  me  by 
Nelson  were  only  very  large  gray  squirrels  with  an  unusual  amount  of  rusty 
on  feet,  sides,  neck  and  mouth. — Rhoads.  None  ever  found  in  these  parts 
(Mill  Hall,  Clinton  Co.). — Pfoutz.  Listed  by  Warren  in  Poultry  book,  p. 
507,  probably  on  my  authority  as  above  corrected. — Rhoads. 

Crawford  Co. — Rare.  Two  specimens  from  Huidecoper's  Hill,  Vernon 
Twp.,  near  Meadville,  were  taken  respecrively  in  October  of  1898  and  1899. 
"  The  last  one  is  in  my  collection." — Kirkpatrick. 

Cumberland  Co. — I  mounted  3  killed  in  Cumberland  Co.  in  1893. — 
Friant.  Listed  by  Warren  in  Diseas.  Poultry,  1897,  p.  507.  "One  reported 
seen  near  Pine  Grove  Furnace  in  1892."  Nearly  exterminated. — Rhoads, 
1897,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  216.  "Dr.  B.  H.  Warren  writes  me 
that  the  northern  fox  squirrel  is  practically  extinct  in  Pennsylvania  except  in 
the  counties  of  Dauphin  and  Cumberland." — Bangs,  Proc.  Biolog.  Soc., 
WasHn.,  1896,  p.  150,  foot  note.  A  specimen  from  Carlisle,  probably  from 
the  National  Museum  collection  and  collected  by  Baird,  is  listed  by  Bangs  as 
having  been  examined. — Ibid,  p.  153. 

Chester  Co. — Listed  by  Michener  in  Hist.  Ches.  Co.  as  "rare,"  but  this 
list  is  not  reliable. — Rhoads. 

Dauphin  Co. — See  above,  under  Cumberland  Co. 

Delaware  Co. — Listed  as  "rare"  by  Cassin  in  Appx.  to  Hist.  Del.  Co., 
1862. 

Elk  Co.— The  last  one  was  killed  in  1889  in  Elk  Co.— Hays.  I  am 
doubtful  of  this  record. — Rhoads. 

Fayeite  Co. — Two  specimens  from  Rothrock  are  listed  by  Bangs  as  com- 
ing under  his  notice  in  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washn.,  1896,  p.  153. 

Forest  Co. — Not  found  in  Co. — Haslet. 

Franklin  Co. — Two  specimens  in  my  collection.  One  taken  Sept.  24, 
1896,  by  J.  H.  Light  near  Williamson,  the  other  shot  Oct.  16,  1897,  by  C. 
M.  Deatrich  near  St.  Thomas.  Secured  through  Drs.  M.  W.  Strealy  and 
W.  B.  Crawford,  of  Chambersburg. — Rhoads.  A  black  fox  squirrel  was  shot 
about  1880  in  northwest  Franklin  Co.  in  South  Mountain.  Several  remain  in 
the  South  Mountains.  One  shot  by  Dr.  W.  B.  Crawford  in  1896. — Strealy. 
Listed  by  Warren  in  "Poultry"  book,  p.  507. 

Fulton  Co. — Listed  by  Warren  in  Diseas.  Poultry,  1897,  p.  507. 

Huntingdon  Co. — Listed  by  Warren,  1.  c. 

Juniata  Co. — Listed  by  Warren,  1.  c. 

Lancaster  Co. — Cat  or  fox  squirrel  is  given  by  Rathvon  in  his  animal  list 
in  Hist.  Lane.  Co.,  1861,  p.  501.  . 

Ly coming  Co. — Not  seen  in  this  Co. — Parker,  1900. 

McKean  Co. — Unknown  here. — Dickeson,  1900. 


60  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Montgomery  Co, — "Rare,"  as  listed  by  Buck  in  Hist.  Montg.  Co.,  1884, 
p.  436. 

Mifflin  Co.— A  few  killed  recently  (1899)  in  the  Co. — Rothrock.  Listed 
in  Warren's  "Poultry"  book,  p.  507. 

Northumberland  Co. — "We  have  seen  it  near  Easton." — Audubon  and 
Bachman,  Quad.  N.  Amer.,  vol.  i. 

Perry  Co. — Listed  in  Warren's  "  Poultry  "  book,  p.  507. 

Sullivan  Co. — "Rare  (reddish),  not  on  top  of  mountains,  near  Eagles- 
mere." — Bennett.  From  other  sources  I  am  led  to  question  the  existence 
of  this  species  in  Sullivan  Co.  Probably  Bennett  refers  to  the  large  rusty- 
colored  gray  squirrels  which  are  sometimes  taken  on  the  foothills. — Rhoads. 

Tioga  Co. — None  in  Tioga  Co.  or  this  part  of  Pa. — Babcock.  Never 
heard  of  one  in  Tioga  Co.  or  northern  Pa. — Cleveland. 

Venango  Co. — Never  saw  one  in  Venango  or  other  northern  Cos.,  though 
a  hunter  of  squirrels  20  consecutive  years.  No  records  known  to  him. — 
Dorworth. 

Wayne  Co. — I  shot  one  or  two  many  years  ago.  Always  rare  in  Wayne 
Co. — Goodnough,  1900.  Never  had  any  in  Wayne  Co.— Stevens. 

Wyoming  Co. — "  The  only  place  I  know  of  its  being  found  is  in  Wyoming 
Co." — Stocker.  I  never  heard  of  one  here  in  Wyoming  Co. — Robinson. 

York  Co. — "We  have  seen  it  near  York." — Audubon  and  Bachm.,  Quad. 
N.  Amer.,  vol.  i.  Listed  in  Warren's  "Poultry"  book,  1.  c.,  p.  507. 

General  Records. — "  Shot  at  rare  intervals  in  some  of  the  northern  coun- 
ties "  of  the  western  border  of  Pa. — Todd.  Specimens  of  the  light  gray 
phase  of  Pa.  fox  squirrel  presented  to  the  Academy  of  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  long 
ago  by  Drs.  Heerman  and  Woodhouse  have  no  definite  locality,  but  probably 
came  from  localities  east  of  the  Susquehanna  River.  Mr.  Ingersoll  was  un- 
able to  get  any  reliable  notes  of  this  species  in  his  journey  through  Juniata, 
Huntingdon,  Blair,  Cambria,  Somerset  and  Bedford  Cos.  in  1896.  Old 
hunters  with  whom  he  conversed  had  only  known  of  them  in  the  distant  past. 
— Rhoads.  "This  species  is  generally  known  in  southeastern  Pennsylvania, 
where  it  chiefly  abounds,  as  the  fox  squirrel." — Baird,  Mam.  N.  Amer.,  1857, 
p.  250. 

Records  in  N.  Jf. — Mercer  Co. — "  Specimens  of  this  squirrel  have  been 
quite  frequently  met  with  in  the  past  three  years.  They  seem  to  prefer  a 
clump  of  large  shell-bark  hickories  with  open  ground  about  them." — Abbott, 
Geolog.  Surv.  of  N.  J.,  1868,  p.  756.  Escaped  from  cages  and  increased  for 
a  time.  Now  exterminated. — Abbott,  1900. 

Southeast  N.  J. — "The  southeastern  portion  of  N.  Jersey  seems  to  be  well 
suited  to  them." — Audubon  and  Bachman,  Quad.  N.  Amer.,  1849,  Vol.  i. 
"  Not  abundant." — Beesley,  GeoL  Surv.  C.  May  Co.,  1857,  p.  135. 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  6 1 

Northern  N.J. — "Even  the  former  existence  of  the  fox  squirrel  in  north- 
ern N.  J.  rests  on  such  unreliable  evidence  that  I  am  unwilling  to  include  it." 
— Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  30.  "  I  can  get  no  informa- 
tion of  any  having  been  taken  lately  in  New  Jersey." — Bangs,  Proc.  Biol. 
Soc.,  Washn.,  1896,  p.  150. 

Description  and  Habits. — For  the  characters  of  this  race  see  above  under 
S.  rufiventer.  So  far  as  I  have  read  there  is  nothing  to  distinguish  the  habits 
and  habitat  of  this  species  from  those  of  the  gray  squirrel  living  in  the  same 
regions.  It  is  more  terrestrial,  less  agile  and  perhaps  more  partial  to  swampy 
ground  than  the  gray  squirrel  and  is  much  persecuted  by  the  latter. 

Genus  Tamias  Illiger,  Prodromus  Systema  Mammal,  et  Avium,  i8n,p.  83. 

Southeastern  Chipmunk;  Striped  or  Ground  Squirrel.  Tamias 
striatus  (Linnaeus). 

1758.  Sciurus  striatus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  164. 

1857.  Tamias  striatus  Baird,  nth  Smithsonian  Report  (Washington,  D.C., 
U.S.A.),  p.  55. 

Type  locality. — Southeastern  United  States. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  austral  and  lower  transition  zones ;  Atlantic 
Ocean  to  Indian  Territory. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  jf. — Found  abundant  in  the  Austral  and  Trans- 
ition regions  of  both  states  except  in  southern,  and  more  especially  south- 
eastern, N.  J.,  where  it  is  rarely  met  with,  though  not  absent  from  any  county- 
As  it  nears  the  Transition  areas  it  becomes  exceedingly  abundant  and  grad- 
ually assumes  a  lighter  color  which,  in  the  "  boreal  islands  "  of  the  Pa.  moun- 
tain tops,  merits  classification  with  T.  s.  fysteri,  the  form  next  to  be  considered. 
For  further  discussion  of  habits,  economic  status  and  specific  characters  the 
reader  is  referred  to  subspecies  fysteri. 

Northeastern  Chipmunk.     Tamias  striatus  fysteri  (Richardson). 

1829.  Sciurus  (Tamias)  fysteri  Richardson,  Fauna  Boreali-Americana, 
vol.  i,  p.  182. 

1886.  Tamias  striatus  fysteri,  Merriam,  American  Naturalist,  vol.  20, 
p.  242. 

Type  locality. — Penetanguishene,  Georgian  Bay,  Ontario,  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  Transition  and  Lower  Canadian  zones ;  Maine 
to  Lake  Superior. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — See  under  striatus,  above.  Not  found 
in  N.  J. 

Records  in  Pa. — Specimens  most  nearly  approaching  typical  fysteri  in  my 


62  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

collection  from  the  mountains  of  Pa.  are  almost  as  near  to  N.  J.  striatus  in 
their  coloration  as  to  lysteri  from  Maine.  On  the  basis  of  palest  specimens 
those  in  the  collection  coming  from  Eaglesmere,  Sullivan  Co.,  and  from  the 
mountain  tops  of  Clinton,  McKean  and  Cambria  Cos.  are  nearest  lysteri. 
Specimens  from  the  Pocono  plateau  are  also  quite  pale,  as  well  as  those  from 
Summit  Mills  in  southern  Somerset  Co. 

A  large  series  from  the  southern  end  of  Greenwood  Lake,  Passaic  Co.,  N.  J., 
the  most  boreal  locality  in  that  state,  show  that  lysteri  has  no  place  in  her 
fauna. 

Habits,  etc. — Some  peculiarities  of  this  species  are  worthy  of  note.  They 
hibernate,  as  is  generally  supposed,  at  the  approach  of  frosty  weather  and 
come  out  again  in  spring ;  say  about  the  first  of  April.  At  Greenwood  Lake 
they  were  amazingly  abundant,  and  during  the  whole  time  spent  there,  the 
last  week  in  October,  though  the  temperature  descended  to  20°  there  was  no 
sunshiny  day  that  did  not  bring  them  out  by  9  or  10  o'clock.  Of  forty 
specimens  secured  there,  no  really  fat  one  was  found  among  them,  though  the 
acorns,  which  they  were  busily  harvesting  and  storing  away,  were  abundant. 
This  is  contrary  to  the  usual  condition  of  hibernating  animals  at  that  season. 
I  have  been  told  by  Seth  Nelson  of  Clinton  Co.,  and  Otto  Behr  of  Sullivan 
Co.  that  sometime  in  February  tracks  in  the  snow  show  that  chipmunks 
emerge  from  their  homes  and  caper  about.  Nelson  thinks  this  is  their  rutting 
season  and  that  the  females  do  not  again  come  out  of  their  burrows  until  the 
young  are  quite  large,  and  much  later  than  the  males  in  spring.  I  cannot 
vouch  for  this  idea,  but  if  true  it  has  its  exceptions,  as  I  have  shot  in  late 
October  young  chipmunks  about  two-thirds  grown,  which  could  not  have 
been  born  much  earlier  than  late  July.  Nevertheless,  I  have  never,  at  any 
season,  secured  a  gravid  female,  but  suckling  ones  have  been  sometimes  taken 
in  an  advanced  stage  towards  weaning.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  the  female 
chipmunk  during  parturition  and  for  some  time  after  the  birth  of  her  young 
does  not  leave  the  burrow,  but  either  lives  on  the  food  she  has  stored  there, 
or  is  fed  by  her  male  partner.  While  autumn  is  the  time  of  greatest  excite- 
ment among  chipmunks,  I  have  been  unable  to  certainly  discover  that  this  is 
the  rutting  season.  That  late  autumn  or  early  winter  is  the  rutting  season 
for  the  tree  squirrels,  including  the  flying  squirrel,  there  seems  no  doubt,  as 
their  young  may  be  found  in  the  nest  in  February  and  March.  That  many 
chipmunks  enter  and  appear  to  be  at  home  in  the  same  burrow  in  the  late 
fall  is  evidenced  by  my  having  trapped  at  the  mouth  of  a  single  burrow,  be- 
tween the  isth  and  25th  of  October,  on  the  mountain  3  miles  above  Round 
Island,  Clinton  Co.,  Pa.,  seven  full-grown  chipmunks,  of  which  i  was  an  adult 
female,  one  an  adult  male,  one  a  young  female  and  four  young  males.  Three 
of  the  young  males  and  the  young  female  were  so  nearly  alike  in  size  that  I 
think  them  the  offspring  of  the  old  pair,  and  that  it  was  likely  they  all  were 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  63 

expecting  to  hibernate,  with  the  exception  of  the  fourth  young  male,  in  this 
retreat.  Of  course  this  is  only  circumstantial  evidence,  but  it  is  probable,  as 
the  four  young  were  hardly  able  to  hew  out  among  those  rocky  fastnesses  a 
retreat  for  themselves  that  year.  In  this  same  locality,  though  snow  and  hard 
freezing  weather  intervened,  the  chipmunks  would  respond  to  a  thawing, 
sunshiny  day  as  late  as  the  zoth  of  November,  about  the  time  we  returned  to 
Pittsburgh.  That  the  chipmunk  varies  its  vegetable  diet  of  nuts,  seeds,  grain, 
buds  and  fruit  with  entrees  of  animal  food  is  noteworthy.  They  not  only  eat 
insects,  snakes,  mice,  birds,  eggs  and  various  species  of  shelled  snails,  but 
have  been  known  to  devour  each  other  when  wounded  or  caught  in  a  trap. 
As  they  are  exceedingly  abundant  in  many  parts  of  the  Transition  zone,  and 
very  fond  of  grain,  those  fields  of  wheat,  oats  and  maize,  etc.,  bordering  upon 
woodland  suffer  not  a  little  from  their  thefts,  but  as  their  main  food  supply  is 
taken  from  nature's  spontaneous  gifts  their  economic  status  is  not  a  serious 
problem.  On  the  other  hand,  they  are  by  far  the  most  numerous,  entertain- 
ing, confiding  and  innocent  of  the  very  few  diurnal  mammals  which  continue 
to  exist  in  our  populated  districts. 

Description  of  species, — It  will  be  sufficient  to  merely  note  the  differences 
distinguishing  true  striatus  from  its  more  northern  representative  lysteri. 
The  latter  is  rather  longer  tailed,  has  a  longer  hind  foot  but  does  not  seem  so 
heavily  built ;  more  slender  bodied.  In  fact  the  differences  in  measure- 
ments are  so  slight  in  averaging  a  large  series  of  each  that  I  think  the  hind 
foot  the  only  reliable  test.  In  color  lysteri  is  lighter  (grayer)  above,  the 
crown  being  yellowish  rusty  instead  of  rusty  brown  and  the  back  clear  ash 
gray  lacking  the  dark  chestnut  rump  of  striatus.  The  back  stripes  are  also 
less  clearly  contrasted  and  the  under  surface  of  tail  buffy  instead  of  dark  hazel. 

Measurements  (striatus}. — Total  length,  235  mm.  (9^  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae, 
88  (3lV)  ;  hind  foot,  33  (iT5¥)  :  (lysteri)  235  (9^)  ;  90  (3^)  ;  35  (i^). 

Genus  Arcotomys  Schreber,  Saugthiere,  vol.  4,  plates  207  to  211. 

Southeastern  Woodchuck  or  Ground  Hog.  Arctomys  monax  (Lin- 
naeus). 

1758.  \_Mus~\  monax  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  60. 

1 780.  Arctomys  monax  Schreber,  Saugthiere,  vol.  4,  plate  208. 

Type  locality. — Maryland. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  Austral  and  Transition  zones ;  Massachusetts 
to  Georgia ;  west  almost  to  the  plains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J, — More  or  less  abundant  in  all  localities  from 
tide  water  to  mountain  top  in  Pa.  within  the  limits  of  the  Upper  Austral  and 
Transition  zones,  being  replaced  in  the  Canadian  zone  by  subspecies 


64  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

canadensis,  next  considered.  In  New  Jersey  numerous  everywhere  north  of 
a  line  joining  Lambertville  and  Perth  Amboy ;  thence  rapidly  decreasing  in 
numbers  especially  eastward  in  the  pine  barrens  region,  where  they  are  almost 
unknown.  In  the  vicinity  of  Trenton  and  Princeton  they  are  rare,  and  in 
Camden  Co.  of  fortuitous  occurrence.  Thence  southward  their  presence  is 
occasionally  recorded  in  most  isolated  neighborhoods,  seeming  to  set  at 
naught  the  common  rules  of  geographical  and  launal  distribution.  The  same 
peculiarity  is  noticeable  in  regions  where  they  are  generally  abundant,  certain 
parts  of  which,  exactly  similar  in  character  of  soil,  topography,  climate  and 
flora,  have  been  avoided  by  them  apparently  ever  since  the  country  was 
settled  upon  by  white  men. 

Records  in  Pa.  (Peculiar  distribution.) — Bucks  Co. — Never  seen  around 
Fallsington. — James  Moon  and  Geo.  M.  Comfort.  Never  known  in  southern 
part  of  Bucks  Co.— D.  Ray. 

Montgomery  Co. — Supposedly  common  in  eastern  Pa.,  its  distribution  in 
Bucks  and  Montgomery  Cos.  is  remarkable.  The  following  is  taken  from  the 
History  of  Montgomery  Co.,  1884,  W.  J.  Buck,  pp.  435,  436  :  "After  most 
extensive  inquiry  among  the  descendants  of  our  earliest  families,  the  ground 
hog  seems  never  to  have  been  known  in  Horsham,  Moreland,  Abington, 
Cheltenham  or  Upper  Dublin  townships.  Near  Flourtown,  Springfield  twp., 
one  was  discovered  about  1868  and  regarded  as  a  great  curiosity.  In  Lower 
Salford  they  disappeared  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  A  few  are  still  found  in 
Upper  Hanover  and  Upper  and  Lower  Providence,  but  strange  to  say  they 
are  common  around  Red  Hill  and  Eastburn's  Hill  in  Upper  Merion. 

Records  in  N.  J.  (chiefly  extralimital.) — Atlantic  Co. — Two  were  reported 
captured  near  Egg  Harbor  and  there  exhibited  about  1880. — Rhoads. 

Burlington  Co. — "Very  rare  near  Medford.  About  the  year  1874  one  was 
killed  on  the  south  branch  of  Rancocas  Creek  near  my  farm." — Geo.  Haines. 
Joseph  S.  Evans  in  answer  to  a  letter  to  William  B.  Evans  of  Moorestown 
writes  :  "I  remember  in  the  summer  of  1898  we  cought  one  in  a  rail  pile  and 
I  think  I  remember  hearing  of  one  being  caught  in  Edw.  Darnell's  potato 
patch  last  summer  [1901]  near  Mount  Laurel,  Father  says  he  only  remem- 
bers seeing  3  or  4  in  his  lifetime  [near  Marlton]." 

Camden  Co. — One  was  killed  near  Haddonfield,  April,  1890,  in  a  burrow 
along  the  road  to  Chew's  Landing.  It  was  mounted  for,  and  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  John  Hutchison.  This  is  the  only  record  known  to  me  for 
Camden  Co.  during  a  residence  there  of  nearly  forty  years. — Rhoads,  1901. 
An  adult  specimen  was  taken  alive  in  July,  1902,  on  a  farm  near  Ashland  and 
seen  by  me  in  Haddonfield. — Rhoads. 

Cape  May  Co. — "  A  few  are  found  at  the  head  of  Cedar  Swamp  Creek, 
Upper  township." — Hand,  1901. 

Cumberland  Co. — Saw  one  near  Greenwich  about  50  years  ago.  The  only 
one. — Williams,  1902. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  65 

Mercer  Co. — "  Not  common  around  Princeton  ;  even  on  the  Rocky  Hill 
range  it  is  scarce.  I  have  several  skins  from  this  locality,  but  have  not  seen 
more  than  a  half  dozen  in  the  last  ten  years." — Phillips,  1901.  Occasional 
in  vicinity  of  Princeton. — Scott.  Not  uncommon  in  this  Co.,  but  more 
abundant  in  adjoining  Cos. — Abbott,  1900.  "In  the  last  five  years  have  col- 
lected six  adult  specimens  from  Mt.  Lucas.  It  is  supposed  to  be  rare,  as 
traces  of  it  are  seldom  seen." — Silvester,  1901.  None  seen  around  Lawrence 
Sta. — McGuigan,  1901.  One  taken  alive  near  Lawrence  and  taken  to  Tren- 
ton as  a  curiosity. — D.  Ray,  1901. 

Morris  Co. — Several  are  found  on  farms  near  Gillette,  in  1901. — Rhoads. 

Ocean  Co. — One  found  in  burrow  on  McCoy  farm  near  Tuckerton  (about 
1880?). — Jillson.  One  shot  by  Horace  Pharo  on  Pharo  farm  at  Tuckerton 
about  1894. — Rhoads.  One  killed  near  Tuckerton  in  summer  of  1897  an^ 
another  in  1898,  so  Jillson  says, — Price,  1901. 

Salem  Co. — "About  30  years  ago  [1872]  there  was  a  burrow  of  the 
Ground  hog  along  the  hill  sides  of  Mannington  Creek." — Caspar  W.  Thomp- 
son. "  Our  country  [Salem  Co.]  was  the  home  of  but  one  species  of  Mar- 
mot, familiarly  known  as  Woodchuck.  They  lived  in  communities  and  bur- 
rowed in  wooded  hillsides." — W.  Patterson  in  "Extinct  Fauna  of  Salem  Co.," 
read  before  the  Salem  Co.  Histor.  Soc.,  Mar.  10,  1896. 

Union  Co. — "One  seen  (by  me)  south  of  First  Mountain,  near  Plainfield, 
Aug.  14,  1898.  Another  seen  on  Second  Mountain,  near  Plainfield,  April  23, 
1899.  Never  seen  south  or  east  of  Plainfield." — Miller. 

Habits,  economic  status,  etc. — In  nearly  all  the  country  covered  by  this 
paper  the  habits  of  the  ground  hog  are  too  well  known.  In  the  mountainous 
districts  where  rocks  abound  and  afford  it  greater  security  in  its  underground 
retreats,  it  has  become  a  pest  to  the  tiller  of  the  soil  because  of  its  great 
abundance.  There  are  sometimes  twenty  of  their  families  on  an  area  of  150 
acres  in  Warren  Co.,  N.  J.,  where  the  farms  reach  up  the  sides  of  the  Kitta- 
tinny  Mountain.  Most  of  the  northern  counties  of  the  state  can  mourn  over 
similar  conditions.  So  bad  are  the  Warren  Co.  ground  hogs,  there  is  a 
special  bounty  put  upon  their  scalps  in  Frelinghuysen  Twp.  of  10  cents  each, 
and  in  consequence  thousands  are  slaughtered.  The  woodchuck  is  pre- 
eminently a  grass  eater,  and  clover  pleases  him  all  too  well.  The  following 
extract  from  a  letter  by  A.  C.  Sisson  of  La  Plume,  will  illustrate  how  they  re- 
gard him  in  Lackawanna  Co.  in  northern  Pa.  I  take  it  from  Dr.  Warren's 
"Poultry"  book:  "The  ground  hog  is  fast  becoming  one  of  the  farmer's 
and  gardener's  most  destructive  enemies.  I  would  most  earnestly  recom- 
mend legislative  aid  in  suppressing  this  intolerable  nuisance.  There  should 
be  a  bounty  of  at  least  twenty-five  cents  on  every  one  killed.  I  have  looked 
in  vain  for  one  redeeming  trait  in  this  sneaking,  groveling  curse  to  the  agri- 


66  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

culture  of  our  State.  He  is  a  gross  feeder,  devouring  nearly  as  much  clover 
as  a  full-grown  sheep  ;  he  eats  to  give  him  strength  to  dig  holes,  and  then  he 
digs  holes  to  give  him  an  appetite  for  more  clover.  He  takes  supreme  de- 
light in  tearing  the  bark  from  young  fruit  trees,  and  will  wipe  out  entirely 
a  good-sized  bean  patch  in  a  day." 

No  bounties  appear  to  have  been  paid  on  this  animal  in  Pa.,  though  I 
make  bold  to  assert  it  annually  steals  incalculably  more  value  in  agricultural 
products  than  the  combined  value  of  poultry,  live  stock,  etc.,  which  are 
destroyed  by  beasts  and  birds  of  prey  coming  under  the  ban  of  law.  The 
fur  of  the  woodchuck  has  no  value,  and  very  few  are  used  for  food,  so  that 
there  is  almost  nothing  "in  his  hide"  to  compensate  for  such  thievishness  as 
in  the  fox,  mink,  skunk,  wildcat,  and  opossum. 

Description  of  species  and  measurements. — See  under  subspecies  canadensis  > 
next  considered. 

Northeastern  Woodchuck  or  Ground  Hog.  Arctomys  monax  cana- 
densis  (Erxleben). 

1777.  \_Glis\  canadensis  Erxleben,  Systema  Regni  Animal,  vol.  i,  p.  363. 

1898.  Arctomys  monax  canadensis  Allen,  Bulletin  American  Museum 
N.  History,  vol.  10,  p.  456. 

Type  locality. — Hudson  Bay. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian  and  Hudsonian  life  zones ;  Newfoundland  ; 
west  to  Rocky  Mts.  ? 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Not  found  in  N.  J.  The  woodchuck  of 
the  limited  Canadian  areas  of  the  northern  Alleghenies  may  more  properly 
be  classed  with  the  dark  race  of  the  southern  Hudson  Bay  region  than  with 
the  Maryland  animal.  This  form  is  confined  to  the  mountain  tops  of  the 
northern  tier  of  counties.  It  is  more  essentially  an  inhabitant  of  the  forested 
lands,  as  contrasted  with  the  habitat  of  monax.  It  is  abundant. 

Habits,  etc. — See  above,  under  monax. 

Description  of  species. — As  no  specimens  of  typical  canadensis  have  been 
described  according  to  modern  methods,  I  will  take  Bangs'  description  of 
Arctomys  ignavus  from  Labrador  as  a  basis  for  comparison  with  monax,  it 
being  probable  that  ignavus  may  properly  become  a  synonym  of  canadensis. 
This  granted,  the  northeastern  woodchuck  is  larger  than  monax  and  of  a 
dark  grizzly  gray,  little  varied  with  yellow  or  reddish  tints,  as  in  the  latter 
species.  The  difference  in  size  is  not  great,  amounting  in  the  length  of  hind 
foot  to  only  ^  of  an  inch. 

Genus  Sciuropterus  F.  Cuvier,  Dents  du  Mammiferes,  1825,  p.  255. 
Virginia  Flying  Squirrel.     Sciuropterus  volans  (Linnaeus). 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  67 

1758.  \_Mus\  volans  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  63. 

1890.  S\_ciuropterus~\  volans  Jordan,  Manual  Vertebrate  Animals,  Northern 
U.  States,  p.  321. 

Type  locality, — Virginia. 

Faunal  distribution. — Austral  and  transition  zones;  Maine  to  Georgia, 
west  to  the  plains.  .  - 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Found  in  uniform  abundance  in  all  locali- 
ties, so  far  as  known.  Whether  it  is  replaced  in  any  of  the  restricted  Cana- 
dian areas  by  the  large  northern  species,  Sciuropterus  sabrinus  macrotis 
Mearns,  has  not  been  determined.  All  the  flying  squirrels  so  far  examined 
by  me  from  these  localities  have  been  the  small  species,  S.  volans.  As  there 
is  a  possibility  of  the  larger  species  being  found,  the  following  distinctions 
between  them  may  be  given  : 

Description  of  species. — The  Virginia  species  is  drab  on  the  upper  parts, 
slightly  shaded  with  russet,  not  distinctly  different  in  winter  and  summer  fur. 
The  under  parts  are  pure  white  to  the  extreme  roots  of  the  hairs.  The  total 
length  is  230  mm.  (9  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae  100  (4) ;  and  hind  foot  30  (i^). 
In  the  northern  species  these  measurements  are  respectively  :  280  (n)  ;  125 
(5)  ;  38  (ij£)  j  and  the  upper  parts  are  glossy  wood  brown  mixed  with 
cinnamon  in  winter  and  in  summer  sooty  drab,  the  under  parts  being  dirty 
white,  the  hairs  sooty  at  their  roots. 

Family  CASTORID/E,  Beavers. 
Genus  Castor  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  58. 

Northeastern  or  Canada  Beaver.  Castor  canadensis  Kuhl,  1820. 
Castor  canadensis  Kuhl,  Beitrage  Zur.  Zool.  u.  Vergl.  Anat.,  p.  64. 

Type  locality. — Hudson  Bay. 

Faunal  distribution. — Hudsonian  and  Canadian  life  zones;  Atlantic  Ocean 
to  Cascade  Mts.  and  Behring  Sea. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — The  typical  form  was  never  found  in  N.  J. 
In  Pa.  this  northern  animal  was  at  one  time  numerous  in  the  higher  mountain 
lakes  and  headwaters  of  the  Allegheny  and  Susquehanna  rivers.  It  is  in- 
cluded in  this  paper  solely  on  our  knowledge  of  the  presence  of  other  animal 
forms  belonging  to  the  Canadian  fauna  (Lynx,  Wolverene,  Bonaparte's 
Weasel,  Cope's  Shrew,  etc.)  in  the  regions  named.  No  specimens  of  native 
beaver  from  Pa.  or  N.  J.  being  known  to  exist,  I  have  been  compelled  to  in- 
clude both  the  northeastern  (canadensis^  and  the  southeastern  (carolinensis} 
in  this  list  on  purely  zoogeographic  grounds.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  believ- 
ing that  this  course  would  be  proven  correct  on  a  basis  of  comparison  be- 


68  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

tween  specimens  of  the  original  beaver  stock  of  southern  N.  J.  and  those  of 
the  Canadian  regions  of  Pa.  It  has  been  many  years  since  beavers  were  sup- 
posed to  have  been  exterminated  in  the  Pa.  wilderness.  Whether  the  records 
of  recent  captures  and  observations  of  beavers  in  the  State  of  Pa.  are  based 
on  survivors  of  the  native  race  or  are  strays  from  captivity  we  are  not  always 
able  to  discover,  but  in  some  cases,  such  as  those  mentioned  under  the  next 
subspecies,  they  were  evidently  from  imported  stock. 

Records  in  Pa. —  Cambria  C0.--The  following  record  of  a  Cambria  Co. 
beaver,  coming  as  it  does  from  a  person  of  so  much  intelligence  and  fully 
appreciating  the  need  of  accuracy  in  an  identification  of  this  kind,  induces 
me  to  insert  it  as  probably  correct.  From  the  nature  of  its  surroundings  and 
the  absence  of  any  evidence  that  a  game  preserve  was  ever  located  in  the 
neighborhood,  it  is  not  impossible  that  this  beaver  is  one  of  the  last  if  not 
the  last  representative  of  the  old  beaver  stock  to  be  found  in  the  Middle 
States,  unless  there  be  some  remaining  in  the  Adirondacks,  a  fact  not  proved 
in  Miller's  recent  List  of  New  York  Mammals  : 

"  I  saw  a  beaver  on  a  branch  of  South  Fork  of  Little  Conemaugh  [Portage 
twp.]  Sept.  i6th,  1899.  This  branch  is  marked  on  old  maps  'Beaver  Dam 
Branch,'  though  I  do  not  know  where  or  how  long  ago  dams  existed.  Prior 
to  flood  of  1889,  this  country  was  almost  untouched.  A  lumber  road  now 
runs  through  bed  of  old  South  Fork  dam  and  up  main  fork,  but  much  of  the 
timber  on  this  '  Beaver  Dam  Branch  '  is  intact.  Hemlocks,  3  ft.  through  are 
in  great  numbers.  Many  years  ago  there  was  a  small  saw-mill  at  about  the 
point  marked  with  a  red  dot  on  sketch  map  [near  Blair  Co.  line]  ;  and  where 
the  stream  re-enters  the  forest  is  a  big  pile  of  rotting  slabs  and  butts,  with 
slack  water  above.  The  beaver  was  just  below  this  and  came  splashing  down 
stream  toward  us,  plunging  into  a  pool  not  ten  feet  away  just  as  he  saw  us, 
apparently  ;  for  he  turned  under  water  and  ran  up  stream,  disappearing  under 
the  pile  of  slabs.  I  was  uncertain  as  to  its  identity  until  it  turned  and  we  had 
a  good  look  at  close  range.  The  valley  for  four  miles  below  this  point  is  vir- 
gin forest  and  only  disturbed  by  trout  fishers.  In  a  few  years,  however,  it 
will  be  all  cut  over,  as  the  hemlock  is  very  valuable  and  the  mills  but  five  or 
six  miles  down  stream."  Signed  W.  C.  McHenry,  Oct.,  1899. 

In  answer  to  my  further  inquiries  regarding  this  record,  Mr.  McHenry 
wrote  as  follows : 

"JOHNSTOWN,  PA.,  DEC.  l8TH,  00. 

"  DEAR  SIR  :  Replying  to  your  note  of  I  yth,  relative  to  the  Cambria  County  Beaver, 
would  say  that  I  have  been  unable  to  make  another  trip  to  the  locality  for  additional  evi- 
dence. The  only  doubts  I  had,  however,  were  removed  last  winter,  when,  in  company  with 
the  young  man  [Frank  Phillips]  who  was  with  me  on  the  South  Fork  trip,  I  visited  the  col- 
lection of  mammals  at  the  Field  Museum  in  Chicago  and  carefully  inspected  specimens  of 
the  Beaver  as  well  as  animals  with  which  it  would  be  at  all  possible  to  confound  it.  This 
confirmed  us  both  beyond  doubt  that  the  animal  we  saw  in  good  daylight  and  so  close  we 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  69 

could  have  easily  shot  it  with  a  pistol,  and  both  in  and  out  of  water,  first  coming  directly 
towards  us  and  then  retreating,  giving  a  good  view  of  its  hinder  parts  and  tail,  was  a  Beaver. 
My  first  impression,  as  the  animal  came  towards  us  and  plunged  into  the  pool,  was  that  it 
was  an  otter;  this  before  I  had  a  good  look  at  it.  Even  when  I  saw  the  tail  I  could  scarcely 
credit  my  senses,  as  I  supposed  the  Beaver  was  wholly  extinct,  and  was  glad  to  have  my 
friend's  positive  confirmation  that  the  tail  wasyfo/  and  naked.  It  was  not  until  after  return- 
ing and  on  tracing  our  rambles  on  the  map  that  I  found  we  were  on  the  '  Beaver  Dam 
Branch '  of  the  South  Fork. 

"  If  possible,  I  will  make  a  trip  to  the  spot  this  winter  and  try  to  confirm  the  record  by 
other  evidence.  It  may  be,  however,  that  lumbering  operations  have  been  pushed  that  far 
up  stream." 

Centre  Co. — "According  to  Mr.  George  K.  Boak,  Pine  Glen,  Pa.,  the 
beaver  was  found  in  Centre  Co.  about  30  years  ago." — Warren  in  Poultry 
book,  1897,  p.  494. 

Clarion  Co. — Last  killed  on  Sandy  Creek  in  northern  Clarion  Co.,  near 
the  Venango  Co.  line,  in  1864. — Zendle. 

Cleat  field  Co. — "Mr.  Abraham  Neveling,  of  Coalport,  Pa.,  says,  "The  last 
beaver  was  trapped  in  Clearfield  Co.  in  1837." — See  Warren,  Poultry  book, 
1897,  p.  494.  A  very  large  beaver  meadow  lies  near  Dubois. — Rhoads. 

Clinton  Co. — An  old  beaver  dam  on  Fishing  Creek. — Hays.  Seth  I.  Nel- 
son, who  hunted  in  the  thirties  in  Potter  [and  Tioga]  Cos.  when  those  coun- 
ties were  largely  covered  with  virgin  forest,  and  the  elk,  wolf  and  pekan  were 
still  numerous,  never  met  with  living  beaver.  In  contrast  with  this  we  have 
the  following  statement  from  his  son,  Seth  Nelson  (Jr.)  :  "The  last  [beaver] 
taken  in  this  state  was  killed  on  Pine  Creek  nine  years  ago  [1884].  A  part 
of  Pine  Creek  is  in  Clinton  Co.,*  part  in  Potter  Co.  and  part  in  Tioga  Co., 
but  the  beaver  was  started  in  Potter  Co.  and  followed  down  through  Tioga 
Co.,  and  killed  in  Clinton  Co." — See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila., 
1897,  p.  210. 

Crawford  Co. — Formerly  in  Pymatuning  and  Conneaut  marshes. — See 
local  beaver  names  in  that  region. — Kirkpa trick,  1900. 

Elk  Co. — None  known  to  exist  in  Elk  Co.  during  my  experience  of  50 
years. — Luhr,  1900.  "At  head  of  Bennett's  Branch  [near  St.  Mary's]  is  a 
marsh  called  Flag  Swamp,  remarkable  as  probably  the  only  one  in  the  state 
in  which  the  beaver  may  be  found  [about  1850]." — See  Hist.  Elk  Co.,  1890, 

P-  473- 

Forest  Co. — There  was  a  colony  on  Salmon  Creek,  Central  Forest  Co.  70 
years  ago. — Haslet,  1901.  The  Beaver  Meadows  in  Jenks  Twp.  covered 
2000  acres.  Beavers  were  numerous  in  1833  when  Cyrus  Blood  settled  in 
Jenks,  but  soon  exterminated. — Irwin. 

Jefferson  Co. — Late  in  "the  thirties"  George  Pelton  brought  beaver  pelts 
to  Brookville.— See  McKnight's  Hist.  Jeff.  Co.,  1898,  p.  89.  These  pelts 
*  It  forms  part  of  the  southeastern  boundary  of  the  Co. 


70  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

were  probably  taken  on  Beaver  river,  a  few  miles  south  of  Brookville. — 
Rhoads. 

McKean  Co. — "About  70  years  ago  there  was  a  nice  beaver  dam  and 
meadow  with  a  fine  lot  of  beaver  on  the  Kinzua  Creek  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  this  county.  This  Beaver  Meadow,  as  it  was  and  is  yet  called,  is 
about  two  miles  above  the  Kinzua  Viaduct.  At  or  near  this  meadow  is  where 
the  last  beaver  was  caught  in  this  county.  Jerod  Robison  caught  two  or 
three  there  in  1839.  I  have  heard  it  stated  that  beaver  have  been  caught 
near  these  old  meadows  as  late  as  the  sixties,  but  could  never  hear  what  the 
man's  name  was  who  captured  them." — Dickinson,  1901. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "The  older  residents  concur  in  the  opinion  that 
the  beaver  was  exterminated  nearly  fifty  years  ago  in  northwestern  Pa.  Their 
dams  and  meadows  are  still  pointed  out  in  numerous  places  along  Bushkill 
and  Dingman  creeks."— See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1894, 
p.  390. 

The  following  notice  of  living  beavers  in  Monroe  Co.  was  published  in  the 
Sunday  North  American,  Dec.  15,  1901  : 

"The  animal  population  of  Pennsylvania  has  lately  been  augmented  by  the 
arrival  of  a  score  of  beavers.  Where  they  came  from,  and  how  they  reached 
the  Keystone  State,  no  one  knows,  but  that  they  are  here  cannot  be  denied, 
for  their  newly-built  home  has  just  been  discovered  on  the  farm  of  Judge 
Edinger,  near  Stroudsburg,  in  Monroe  county. 

"  It  is  a  genuine  beaver  dam,  one  of  those  marvels  of  ingenious  construc- 
tion now  seldom  found  anywhere  save  in  the  most  inaccessible  parts  of  Canada 
and  other  northern  countries. 

"  The  presence  of  this  dam  and  its  builders  in  Pennsylvania,  scarcely  a 
hundred  miles  from  Philadelphia,  is  a  problem  that  naturalists  will  find  hard 
to  solve. 

"  All  the  known  habits  of  the  beaver  increase  the  mystery.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  secretive  of  animals,  and  has  but  rarely  been  seen  by  human  eyes, 
so  carefully  does  he  shun  mankind.  Moreover,  beavers  have  been  so  per- 
sistently hunted  in  this  country  that  they  are  likely  to  become  extinct,  and 
are  now  rare  even  in  the  remote  parts  of  Canada. 

"  The  discovery  of  the  dam  came  through  accident.  John  Storm,  a  resi- 
dent of  Snydersville,  stumbled  on  to  it  while  following  a  rabbit  in  the  hills 
near  his  home.  But  for  this  chance,  it  might  have  remained  hidden  for  years, 
for  its  cunning  builders  had  cleverly  concealed  it  with  a  protecting  shield  of 
twigs  and  branches. 

"Visitors  by  the  hundred,  from  city  and  countryside,  have  flocked  to  the 
scene,  and  marveled  at  the  skill  with  which  the  little  animal  engineers  had 
fashioned  their  strange  abode. 

"To  all  appearances,  the  beavers  had  been  there  for  months,  for  the  dam 


MAMMALS   OF  PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  7 1 

-was  finished  to  the  last  straw,  and,  moreover,  was  abandoned,  the  fickle- 
minded  beavers  having  already  started  another  dam  some  distance  away. 
The  frost  king  evidently  had  interrupted  the  beavers  before  they  had  time  to 
finish  the  new  structure,  for  found  it  was,  frozen,  in  an  incomplete  state. 

"  All  around  the  stream,  for  a  distance  of  half  a  mile  on  either  bank,  were 
evidences  of  the  busy  beavers'  work.  In  one  spot  no  less  than  seven  trees 
had  been  felled  into  the  stream,  which  flows  toward  the  new  dam,  in  such  a 
way  that  the  current  would  carry  the  supply  of  timber  down  to  the  builders. 

"It  was  particularly  interesting  to  note  how  cleverly  the  beavers  selected 
the  trees  to  be  felled.  In  every  case,  the  trees  cut  had  been  growing  close 
to  the  bank  in  such  a  sloping  position  that  the  tree  was  sure  to  tumble  into 
the  water  as  it  fell.  The  keen  teeth  had  attacked  the  tree  always  on  the  side 
further  from  the  water,  so  that  the  weight  would  assist  the  operation  of  felling, 
and  send  it  in  the  direction  favorable  to  transportation. 

"  Some  of  the  trees  felled  were  of  such  a  size  that  it  would  seem  to  have 
been  an  impossibility  for  a  beaver  to  haul  it  to  the  water ;  but  with  the  stream 
as  an  ally,  and  the  law  of  gravitation  to  help  carry  the  tree  to  the  stream,  all 
was  easy. 

"  It  is  not  likely  that  Judge  Edinger  will  fail  to  take  the  necessary  precau- 
tions. 

" '  I  had  one  fellow,'  indignantly  remarked  the  Judge  to  the  writer,  *  ask 
me  if  he  could  not  go  over  there  and  shoot  a  beaver.  Why,  I'd  almost  as 
soon  he'd  shoot  me.  I'm  going  to  protect  the  beavers,  and  hope  they'll  thrive 
until  they  are  common  sights  along  the  river.  One  man  told  me  I'd  regret 
it  because  of  the  damage  to  the  timber.  Well,  they're  welcome  to  all  the 
trees  they  can  cut  down.  What  are  the  few  trees  compared  to  a  beaver  dam 
on  one's  own  property?' 

"  No  one  has  been  fortunate  enough  to  see  a  member  of  the  new  colony  so 
far.  Nor  is  any  one  likely  to  during  the  winter,  for  when  the  cold  weather 
begins  the  beavers  retire  to  their  winter  quarters. 

"  Judging  by  the  work  done,  the  colony  must  number  at  least  a  score ;  most 
•of  the  young  trees  growing  along  the  stream  are  probably  doomed,  for, 
although  work  has  of  necessity  been  suspended,  it  evidently  has  not  been 
abandoned,  for  newly-cut  trees  are  lying  on  the  ice  ready  for  resumption  of 
operations  when  the  cold  days  give  place  to  dam-building  weather." 

In  confirmation  of  this  story,  Mr.  Edinger  writes  me,  from  Stroudsburg, 
under  date  of  Jan.  25,  1902  : 

"  Your  letter  received  in  due  course,  and  in  reply  would  say  that  the  ac- 
count of  the  beavers  on  my  farm,  as  published  in  the  North  American  of 
Sunday,  Dec.  isth,  1901,  is  correct.  From  the  cutting  of  the  timber  done 
by  them  on  my  farm,  I  imagine  they  have  been  there  for  about  two  years,  but 
•were  only  discovered  last  fall.  They  have  built  a  temporary  dam  about  one 


72  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

hundred  feet  in  length  in  a  swamp  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  stream 
of  McMichael's  creek.  They  are  now  on  the  bank  of  that  stream  on  my 
property,  as  is  seen  by  their  late  cutting  of  the  timber.  There  are  at  least 
one  hundred  trees  that  have  been  cut  by  them,  some  quite  large  ones,  and 
some  cut  as  late  as  last  week." 

In  a  letter  of  later  date  Mr.  Edinger  gives  further  particulars  as  follows  : 

"Your  letter  of  January  3oth  received,  and  in  reply  relative  to  the  beaver 
would  say  that  we  do  not  know  where  they  came  from  and  do  not  know  how 
many  there  are.  From  the  cutting  done  by  them  I  would  imagine  there  may 
be  six  or  eight.  I  have  been  informed  there  is  a  Park  in  N.  J.  about  forty 
miles  from  N.  Y.  City  in  which  there  are  some  beavers  ;  it  may  be  possible 
these  may  have  escaped  from  there.  McMichael's  creek,  on  which  these 
beavers  have  located,  rises  in  Tunkhannock  township  this  county,  flows 
through  Chestnuthill,  Hamilton,  and  Stroud  town=hip,  through  the  borough 
of  Stroudsburg  and  empties  into  Brodhead's  creek.  The  latter  empties  in 
the  Del.  River  at  the  Water  Gap,  three  miles  from  this  town.  We  have  not 
seen  any  of  the  beavers  but  have  tracked  them  by  the  late  snow,  and  have 
located  them  in  under  the  bank  of  the  stream  (McMichael's  creek)  ;  they 
have  quite  a  lot  of  wood  for  food  at  the  mouth  of  their  home,  the  bank  is 
from  four  to  six  feet  higher  than  the  creek.  I  have  put  notices  on  the  prem- 
ises forbidding  trespassing  under  full  penalty  of  the  law.  I  don't  think  that 
anybody  will  disturb  them.  The  water  in  McMichael's  creek  at  my  farm  and 
where  the  beavers  are  is  about  fifty  feet  wide  and  from  three  to  five  feet  in 
depth.  My  farm  is  about  two  miles  north  of  Stormsville,  one  mile  east  of 
Kellersville,  and  about  one  mile  southeast  of  Snydersville.  Most  of  the 
timber  cut  by  them  is  swamp  beech,  white  ash,  and  quaking  asp.  They  use 
mostly  the  bark  of  the  white  ash  for  food." 

I  can  see  no  other  explanation  of  the  presence  of  these  beavers  in  Mc- 
Michael's creek  than  the  one  given  by  Mr.  Edinger.  The  natural  waterway 
connection  between  the  Allamuchy  preserve  and  Stroudsburg  would  be  down 
the  Peques  river  to  the  Delaware  and  up  that  to  Brodhead's  creek.  But 
this  would  entail  almost  certain  destruction.  A  somewhat  safer  course  would 
be  across  to  the  head  of  the  Paulin's  Kill  and  thence  to  the  Delaware.  An- 
other route  would  be  across  the  southwest  border  of  Sussex  Co.  by  Swarts- 
wood  Lake  across  the  Kittatinny  lakes  region  to  the  Delaware,  overland. 
Their  dispersion  over  a  similar  hill  and  lake  region  in  Sussex  Co.  northward 
makes  this  not  only  the  safer  but  the  most  natural  route. 

Potter  Co. — See  notes  under  Clinton  Co. 

Sullivan  Co. — "Jared  Robinson  caught  2  in  the  beaver  dam,  now  called 
'hay  marsh,' 4  miles  above  Lopez  between  1818  and  1820." — Behr,  1901. 
Query  :  can  this  be  the  "  Jerod  Robison"  who  "caught  two  or  three"  in  the 
Kinzua  creek  region  (see  under  McKean  Co.)  in  1839?  It  is  not  unlikely 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  73 

that  said  Jared  or  Jerod  is  the  guilty  trapper  by  whose  infamous  pertinacity 
the  "last  beavers"  of  Pennsylvania  were  gathered  to  their  fathers  ! 

Sullivan  and  Tioga  Cos. — "Nearly  extinct  [1834]  in  the  Allegheny  Mts."" 
Traces  of  their  cuttings  reported  seen  at  headwaters  of  Pine,  Lycoming,  or 
Loyalsock  creeks. — See  Taylor,  London's  Magazine  Nat.  History,  1835,  vo^ 
8,  PP-  536  to  539.  "None  captured  or  seen  in  Tioga  Co.  in  my  recollection 
of  50  yes  rs." — Cleveland,  1900. 

Venango  Co. — None  seen  or  heard  of  in  last  25  years. — Dorworth,  1900. 

Wayne  Co. — Beavers  especially  haunted  the  headwaters  of  the  Lehigh  and 
Lackawaxen.  Willows,  birch  and  poplars  were  their  favorite  building 
material.  "The  last  one  killed  was  near  Honesdale.  The  last  I  ever  saw 
was  caught  in  a  trap  by  Edmund  Nicholson,  of  Salem  [township]."  (No 
dates  given.) — See  Goodrich,  Hist.  Wayne  Co.,  1880. 

Summary  of  foregoing  records. — It  is  evident  that  this  interesting  animaf 
was  practically  exterminated  in  the  eastern  half  of  its  Canadian  habitat  in  Pa. 
about  1830 ;  that  some  remained  in  the  headwaters  of  the  west  branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  till  about  1840,  and  that  almost  the  last  stragglers  of  their  race 
were  killed  in  Elk,  Clarion,  and  Centre  Cos.,  between  the  years  1850  and 
1865.  By  what  means  the  two  specimens,  one  said  to  have  been  killed  in- 
Clinton  Co.  in  1884,  and  the  other  reported  seen  in  Cambria  Co.  in  1899, 
succeeded  in  evading  their  deadly  foes,  both  man  and  beast,  for  the  remain- 
ing third  of  a  century  we  are  at  a  loss  to  say,  unless  they  were  escaped  im- 
portations from  some  part  of  the  country. 

Description  of  species. — It  will  suffice  to  merely  indicate  the  racial  differ- 
ences between  the  northern  and  southern  beavers  of  eastern  North  America. 
The  northern  animal  (canadensis}  is  rather  smaller  and  with  a  shorter  hind 
foot  than  the  southern  (carolinensis),  and  the  scaly  portion  of  the  tail  is  twice 
as  long  as  its  width,  while  in  the  latter  the  relative  width  is  considerably 
greater.  The  upper  winter  fur  of  canadensis  is  blackish  brown,  the  hairs 
tipped  with  chestnut,  rump  and  thighs  dark  chestnut.  In  carolinensis  the 
upper  colors  are  hazel  brown  and  the  rump  and  thighs  cinnamon  rufous,  the 
under  parts  broccoli  brown,  making  it  a  much  duller  and  paler  colored 
animal  than  the  Canadian  beaver.  The  fur  of  the  latter  is  long,  full  and  soft 
while  that  of  the  former  is  much  shorter  and  relatively  harsher  and  thinner  at 
the  same  season  of  year. 

Measurements. —  (Canadensis}  total  length,  noo  mm.  (35  in.)  ;  tail  verte- 
brae, 410  (i6#)  ;  hind  foot,  175  (6#).  (Carolinensis}  total  length,  noo- 
(35)  ;  hind  foot,  184  (7^)  ;  scaly  part  of  tail,  279x158  (nx6#). 

Southeastern  Beaver.      Castor  canadensis  carolinensis  Rhoads. 
1898.    Castor   canadensis    carolinensis    Rhoads,   Transactions   American 
Philosoph.  Society,  Phila.,  vol.  19,  p.  420. 


74  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

lype  locality. — Dan  River,  near  Danbury,  Stokes  Co.,  N.  Carolina. 

Faunal  distribution.  —  Austral  and  transition  zones ;  Massachusetts  to 
Florida,  west  to  the  Coast  Range. 

Distribution  inPa.andN.J. — This  subspecies  was  formerly  a  native  of 
all  the  extensive  regions  included  in  the  upper  austral  and  transition  zones  of 
the  two  states,  supposedly  intergrading  into  canadensis  in  the  regions  named 
above  under  that  species. 

Records  in  Pa. — Owing  to  the  earlier  settling  up  of  the  country  inhabited 
by  this  race  of  beaver  in  Pa.,  I  am  not  able  to  give  any  dates  of  its  disap- 
pearance in  that  state.  As  one  of  the  chief  items  of  barter  with  the  aborigines 
was  beaver  skins,  this  animal  speedily  was  exterminated  in  the  more  accessible 
regions,  leaving  behind  it  only  the  name  of  creek,  or  river,  lake,  or  meadow, 
or  township,  yea,  even  a  county  to  perpetuate  its  memory.  Probably  Penn's 
colony  had  not  been  settled  twenty  years  on  the  Delaware  before  most  of  the 
beavers  of  the  lower  Delaware,  Schuylkill  and  Susquehanna  valleys  had  been 
shipped  as  pelts  to  England.  This  was  the  condition  about  the  year  1700. 
By  the  time  of  the  American  Revolution,  76  years  more  of  colonization  had 
practically  wiped  out  the  lowland  beaver  from  all  the  great  river  valleys  of  the 
state  except  the  northern  tributaries  of  the  Ohio.  On  this  account,  practic- 
ally all  contemporary  history  of  that  period  was  too  much  engrossed  in  the 
"winning  of  the  west "  to  record  observations  on  natural  history,  and  we  have 
hardly  so  much  as  a  tradition  of  when  and  where  the  last  valley  beaver  trod 
incautiously  upon  a  steel  trap. 

Records  in  N.J. — Owing  to  the  inaccessible  and  unproductive  character  of 
the  lands  of  southern  New  Jersey,  the  beaver  continued  to  exist  in  some  of 
the  most  retired  swamps  of  Atlantic  and  Cape  May  counties  long  after  its 
brethren  of  the  Pa.  lowlands  were  exterminated.  On  this  account,  a  few 
records  have  been  found  indicating  its  approximate  disappearance.  All 
beaver  records  given  below  dating  later  than  1820,  we  may  safely  include 
under  the  class  of  species  introduced  by  man  into  our  limits. — Rhoads. 

Atlantic  Co. — "  I  never  saw  one  dead  or  alive  "  [very  significant  of  their 
absence  since  1 830,  as  he  was  a  most  noted  hunter  in  Atlantic  Co.  for  nearly 
50  years].  About  1818,  a  friend  of  his  saw  them  swim  across  Great  Egg 
Harbor  River.  Six  old  dams  known  to  him  in  Atlantic  Co. — 2  at  Hammon- 
ton,  i  three  miles  south  of  Egg  Harbor  City,  i  between  May's  Landing  and 
Weymouth  and  i  south  of  Doughty's  Tavern. — Coffin.  "  In  the  northern  part 
of  the  county,  between  Atsion  and  Batsto,  the  water  from  the  main  branch  of 
the  Machesautuxen  was  carried  to  the  eastward  through  the  high  grounds  by 
means  of  ditches  or  canals,  into  a  smaller  stream  called  Sleepy  Creek,  where 
dams  were  erected  and  where  the  beavers  had  their  dwellings.  .  .  .  Higher 
up  the  same  stream  a  series  of  dams  were  erected,  flooding  the  whole  valley 
for  several  miles  and  so  destroying  the  timber  that  but  little  has  grown  upon 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW  JERSEY.  75 

the  soil,  leaving  it,  however,  a  valuable  pasturage  for  cattle  during  most  of  the 
year." — J.  Clement,  in  Proceedings  of  the  Surveyors'  Association  of  N.  J., 
1880,  p.  405.  An  examination  of  the  map  shows  that  this  tract  lies  in  Ha*n- 
monton  township  at  the  head  of  the  Nescochaque  (Sleepy  Creek?)  branch  of 
Mullica  River,  about  midway  between  Hammonton  and  Atsion.  It  is  named 
the  Great  Swamp.  Probably  the  canal  referred  to  was  merely  to  secure 
access  to  the  Machesautuxen  regions  rather  than  a  source  of  water  supply, 
as  the  tributaries  of  the  Nescochaque  reached  far  beyond  the  Great  Swamp 
to  Winslow  and  Cedarbrook  and  must  have  afforded  abundance  of  water. 
This  is  probably  the  region  of  the  Hammonton  beaver  dams,  mentioned  above 
by  Coffin.— Rhoads. 

Burlington  Co. — "  Saw  lately  an  old  dam  on  Wading  River.  Another,  close 
by,  is  mentioned  in  an  old  deed  to  my  grandfather,  dated  1848.  Other  dams 
can  be  found  on  Wading  River  and  its  branches." — Price.  See  also  under 
"  historical  notes,"  beyond. 

Camden  Co. — Exterminated  in  Camden  Co.  before  1820,  one  of  their  latest 
haunts  in  that  Co.  being  Beaver  Branch  of  Big  Timber  Creek. — Chew.  Some 
of  the  beaver  dams  mentioned  above  by  Clement  as  being  built  in  the  head- 
waters of  the  Machchesautuxen  must  have  extended  the  operations  of  beavers 
into  the  southeastern  end  of  Camden  Co. — Rhoads. 

Cape  May  Co. — A  well-defined  beaver  dam  may  yet  be  traced  at  head  of 
Sluice  Creek,  y±  mile  from  South  Dennis  Station,  Atlantic  City  R.  R. — Hand. 
The  last  one  seen  near  Dennisville  was  about  75  years  (1814?)  ago,  but  they 
remained  near  Tom's  River  (Ocean  Co.)  much  later. — Miss  H.  L.  Townsend 
— -fide  Lee.  "  It  was  found  in  Cape  May  Co.  25  years  ago,  occasionally." — 
Abbott,  Geol.  N.  J.,  1868,  p.  757. 

Mercer  Co. — Dams  in  Crosswicks  Creek  yet  traceable.  "Was  formerly 
very  abundant,  especially  along  the  Assanpink  Creek. "« — Abbott  in  Geol. 
N.  J.,  1868,  p.  757,  and  in  letter  to  Rhoads. 

Ocean  Co. — See  above,  under  Cape  May  Co.  Tuckerton  mill  dam  was 
originally  built  by  beavers  just  at  high  tide  limit  of  Tuckerton  Creek.  It 
formed  in  the  early  history  of  that  region  the  foundation  for  the  first  highway 
across  the  creek.  A  comparatively  recent  washout  in  this  dam  exposed  the 
original  beaver-gnawed  material  of  its  foundation. — Rhoads,  fide  Pharo. 

Salem  Co. — An  old  dam,  5  miles  from  Mickleton,  bearing  the  name  of 
Beaver  Pond,  is  cut  off  from  Raccoon  Creek.  The  ancient  site  of  the  dam 
breast,  cutting  off  a  swampy  section  from  the  creek,  is  yet  traceable,  being 
held  in  place  by  the  roots  of  many  willows  growing  upon  it. — Rhoads,  1898. 

Sussex  Co. — An  article  published  in  "  Forest  and  Stream,"  in  August,  1900, 
gave  a  detailed  account  of  the  existence  of  beavers  in  the  wilds  of  Sussex  Co 
by  Mr.  J.  von  Lengerke.  The  locality  was  not  stated.  In  answer  to  my 
inquiries,  under  address  and  date  of  New  York,  February  24,  1902, 1  received 
the  following  interesting  letter  regarding  these  N.  J.  beavers  : 


76  MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY. 

•"  SAMUEL  N.  RHOADS,  ESQ.  : 

"Dear  Sir:  I  learn  from  trustworthy  sources  that  beavers  are  to  be  found 
in  different  localities,  especially  in  Sussex  county,  N.  J.  To  my  knowledge, 
there  are  three  or  four  distinctly  different  waters  which  harbor  them,  but  as 
to  their  numbers,  of  course,  I  cannot  speak.  In  looking  over  the  grounds 
where  they  seemed  to  live  last  year,  I  found  but  little  fresh  signs ;  it  seems 
that  the  animals  have  worked  down  stream,  as  a  mile  or  two  below  their  last 
year's  haunt  lots  of  new  fresh  signs  are  noticeable,  including  a  dam  built 
under  a  bridge  on  a  public  country  road.  The  water  is  dammed  up  several 
feet  on  one  side  of  the  bridge  and  the  dam  seems  very  effective.  This  road, 
of  course,  is  not  traveled  much  and  there  is  many  a  day  when  not  a  single 
wagon  crosses  the  bridge. 

"  I  have  not  had  a  chance  to  look  after  the  details  and  follow  the  matter  up 
further,  but  expect  to  do  so  this  spring  and  summer.  There  is  a  bill  before 
the  Legislature  in  New  Jersey,  with  a  view  to  protecting  the  beaver  in  the 
State,  and  as  this  is  likely  to  pass  and  become  a  law,  there  would  be  no  ob- 
jection to  naming  the  localities  where  the  beaver  are  to  be  found.  The  place 
I  refer  to  is  near  Roseville,  Sussex  Co.,  N.  J.  Another  pond  where  I  know 
beavers  are  to  be  found  is  Losee  Pond,  near  Two  Bridges.  There  are  also 
beavers  near  Waterloo,  N.  J.,  and  "  Forest  and  Stream  "  gave  a  description 
•of  a  solitary  beaver  in  the  Musconnetcong  River. 

"There  are  several  other  ponds  which  harbor  beaver,  but  I  have  no  per- 
sonal knowledge  thereof.  Sussex  county  it  seems  harbors  nearly  all  the 
.animals  in  the  State,  although  a  few  may  have  gotten  into  Morris  county. 
Whether  these  animals  are  escaped  stock  I  cannot  say.  If  they  are,  they 
have  done  extremely  well,  as  no  beavers  were  introduced  anywhere  in  that 
"part  of  the  State  more  than  eight  or  ten  years  ago. 

"  I  understand  that  the  Messrs.  Rutherford  planted  a  few  beavers  in  their 
private  pond  at  Tranquility  Farm,  near  Allamuchy,  N.  J.  At  any  rate,  beaver 
may  be  considered  as  belonging  to  the  fauna  of  New  Jersey  again,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  that,  with  the  protection  which  seems  now  to  be  assured,  they  will 
•do  well  in  future. 

"  Yours  very  truly,  J.  VON  LENGERKE. 

"P.  S.  My  waters,  'Stag  Lake,'  is  above  Roseville,  and  while  I  have  no 
resident  beavers  there,  I  know  they  visited  there  last  winter,  1900-1901." 

See  notes  under  Warren  Co. 

Warren  Co. — "  I  have  not  seen  anything  of  beaver  in  N.  J.  except  those 
which  have  escaped  from  Rutherford  Stuyvesant's  game  preserve  at  Alla- 
muchy. On  his  reserve  I  noticed  large  trees  which  had  been  felled  by  these 
animals.  They  may  be  found  along  the  stream  [Pequest]  which  leads  from 
his  property." — Gifford,  Feb.  4,  1901.  There  is  little  doubt  that  the  original 
stock  of  beavers  which  are  now  spread  over  the  southern  part  of  Sussex  Co., 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY.  77 

as  narrated  by  Mr.  Lengerke  above,  escaped  from  the  Rutherford  preserve. 
— Rhoads,  1902. 

Historical  notes,  etc. — Dr.  Abbott  in  Geology  of  N.  J.,  1868,  says  in  general 
.of  the  beaver  of  North  N.  J. :  "Probably  no  longer  found  in  the  state,  but 
may  possibly  exist  in  very  limited  numbers  about  the  northern  boundary  line." 
This  supposition,  so  far  as  it  related  to  native  or  unprotected  stock  was  prob- 
ably unwarranted  at  that  date. — Rhoads.  "To  the  beaver-hat  trade  with 
Portugal  and  the  West  Indies,  N.  Jersey  contributed  a  noteworthy  share ; 
but  as  the  years  of  colonial  existence  drew  to  a  close  the  making  of  beaver 
hats  dwindled  into  comparative  insignificance.  Every  effort  was  made  to 
revive  the  beaver  hat  industry,  but  to  no  avail,  and  the  commerce  in  this 
article  [beaver  pelts]  virtually  died  out  in  pre- revolutionary  times." — Lee. 

Description  of  species. — See  preceding  species. 

Family  MURIM:,  Mice  and  Rats. 

Genus  Peromyscus  Gloger,  Gemeinn.  Hand.  u.  Hilfsbuch  d.  Naturge- 
schischte,  vol.  i,  p.  95. 

Miller's  Deer  Mouse.     Peromyscus  canadensis  (Miller). 

1893.  Sitomys  americanus  canadensis  Miller,  Proceedings  Biological  So- 
ciety, Washington,  vol.  8,  p.  55. 

1896.  Peromyscus  canadensis  Bangs,   Proc.  Biol.  Soc.,  Washn.,  vol.   10, 

P- 49- 

Type  locality. — Peterboro,  Madison  Co.,  N.  York. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian  and  upper  transition  zones  of  eastern 
Canada  and  the  United  States. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Not  yet  found  in  N.  J.,  but  may  be  dis- 
covered on  High  Knob,  Sussex  Co.,  or  in  the  isolated  mountain  cedar 
swamps  west  of  Greenwood  Lake,  near  Passaic  Co.  In  Pa.  confined  to  the 
denser  hemlock,  tamarack  and  white  pine  forests  of  the  Canadian  fauna,  in- 
tergrading  southward  along  the  higher  Allegheny  ridges  of  Cambria  and 
Somerset  Cos.  into  the  small,  longtailed  race  (?)  found  originally  on  Roan 
Mountain  in  the  southern  Alleghanies.  See  next  species. 

Records  in  Pa. — This  large,  forest- haunting  species  has  been  taken  in  its 
most  typical  form  in  the  following  localities :  Clinton  Co.,  High  Mts.  above 
Round  Island,  2  ;  Sullivan  Co.,  Eaglesmere,  5  ;  Lake  Ganoga,  4. 

Habits,  etc. — Among  the  deep,  damp,  moss-covered  tangle  of  the  ever- 
green forests,  especially  where  the  mountain  stream  is  darkly  hid  by  rhodo- 
dendron, Miller's  deer  mouse  loves  to  dwell.  He  is  by  no  means  the  hermit 
that  a  rambler  in  these  solitudes  might  imagine,  as  he  spies  him  peering  out 


78  MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

from  among  the  hemlock  roots.  Stealing  about  among  these  fallen  logs  and 
beds  of  moss  and  fern,  in  a  perfect  labyrinth  of  passageways,  are  scores  of  his 
fellows,  playing  the  tag  and  hide  and  seek  of  life  and  death  with  friends  and 
enemies.  These  long-eared,  great-eyed  and  bewhiskered  fellows  must  share 
as  best  they  may,  the  same  by-ways  and  tunnels  that  form  the  hunting  grounds 
of  many  another  sort  of  hidden  creature  whose  doings  have  so  long  been  as 
a  sealed  book  to  men.  Stump-tailed  wood  mice  with  rusty  backs  (Evotomys), 
strong- scented  shrews,  some  fat  and  blood-thirsty,  some  so  slender  there's 
room  for  two  to  pass,  a  Brewer's  mole  or  two  and  now  and  then  a  flash  of 
Zapus  fleeting  by.  Life  is  indeed  not  lonely  here,  even  in  the  quiet  day- 
time, but  crowded,  strenuous  and  only  half  suppressed.  Ask  the  trout  fisher- 
man or  the  still  hunter.  They  have  some  secrets  yet  unrevealed  in  books. 

Except  in  the  company  he  keeps  there  is  but  little  difference  in  color  and 
habits  between  the  deer  mouse  of  the  Alleghanian  forests  and  his  more 
plebeian  counterpart  of  the  valleys.  Indeed  they  both  meet  on  common 
ground  along  the  lower  edges  of  the  Canadian  zone,  daring  to  venture  a  little 
into  each  other's  peculiar  domain,  yet  never,  so  far  as  is  known,  interbreed- 
ing, but  ever  maintaining  their  specific  characters. 

Deer  mice  are  a  wonderfully  large  family  all  over  this  North  American 
continent,  having  more  species  by  far  than  any  other  genus  of  American 
mammals,  yet  they  all  have  kept  within  a  very  narrow  range  of  variation  in 
size,  color  and  habits.  What  I  have  said,  therefore,  of  Miller's  deer  mouse 
will  apply  largely  to  all  of  them.  In  a  few  words,  they  were  in  measure 
to  colonial  Americans  what  the  house  mouse  of  the  Old  World  now  is  to  the 
super-civilized  citizens  of  the  New  World,  only  far  more  beautiful  and  enter- 
taining. In  the  lumberman's  camp  and  settler's  cabin  they  supply  the  full 
measure  of  man's  need  of  a  domestic  mouse  to  steal  his  victuals,  nibble  his 
papers,  nest  in  his  boots  and  dance  high  carnival  in  the  sheltering  eaves. 

A  word  as  to  that  cloud-dweller  which  we  next  consider,  the  dusky,  long- 
tailed  sprite  of  the  balsam  woods,  on  the  foggy  peaks  of  the  Great  Smoky 
Mountains.  Of  all  dark  ways,  his  are  the  darkest  among  eastern  deer  mice. 
In  consequence,  all  we  know  of  him  is  that  his  looks  do  not  belie  his  call- 
ing, and  when  we  place  him  alongside  his  Adirondack  ancestors,  he  looks  as 
smoky  as  his  native  mountains  and,  strange  contradiction,  about  a  third  smaller- 
bodied  with  a  long,  slender  tail.  Such,  in  an  intermediate  degree,  is  his  half- 
way brother  of  the  hemlocks  at  Summit  Mills,  in  Somerset  Co.,  near  the 
Maryland  state  line. — Rhoads.  "At  Summit  Mills,  a  region  altogether  higher 
than  Krings  in  Cambria  Co.,  canadensis  seemed  to  replace  leucopus  entirely, 
and  there  I  took  them  everywhere,  in  stone  walls  along  fields,  in  oak  and 
hemlock  woods  and  one  in  a  trap  set  on  the  mountain  for  cliff  rats.  Traps 
set  in  low,  damp  ground  for  Evotomys  also  often  caught  them." — Ingersoll. 
Description  of  species. — (^Canadensis)  tail  equal  to  or  longer  than  head 


MAMMALS  PA,  AND  N.  J.,  RHOADS. 


ALL  FIGURES  NATURAL  SIZE. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  79 

and  body,  heavily  haired,  with  well-defined  tuft  at  tip.  Body  above,  dull, 
yellowish-brown,  in  adults ;  beneath,  white ;  tail  colors  to  correspond ;  feet 
white.  In  nubiterrce,  the  Cloudland  race,  the  size  is  not  only  much  smaller, 
but  the  color  above  is  a  sort  of  smoky  brown  in  adults  and  the  underparts  less 
pure  white. 

Measurements. — {Canadensis}  total  length,  190  mm.  (7^  in.);  tail  verte- 
brae, 100  (3|£);  hind  foot,  21.5  (|f).  (nubiterrce} ,  Somerset  Co.,  average 
of  13  adults,  176  (7);  89  (3^);  21%  (|f). 

Cloudland  Deer  Mouse.     Peromyscus  canadensis  nubiterrce  (Rhoads). 

1896.  Peromyscus  leucopus  nubiterrce  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila., 
p.  187. 

1897.  Peromyscus  canadensis  nubiterrce  Rhoads,  Ibid.,  p.  213. 

Type  locality. — Summit  of  Roan  Mt.,  Mitchell  Co.,  North  Carolina.  Alti- 
tude, 6370  ft. 

Fauna/  distribution. — Canadian  or  balsam  forest  belts  of  the  higher  south- 
ern Alleghanies,  insensibly  grading  into  canadensis  along  the  middle  Alle- 
ghany  ridge,  from  southern  Pa.  to  southern  West  Virginia. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Not  found  in  N.  J.  The  most  closely  allied 
examples  oi  Pa.  nubiterrae  that  I  have  seen  were  taken  in  southern  Somerset 
Co.  They  are  more  characteristic  of  the  subspecies  than  of  the  typical  form. 

Habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  under  preceding  species. 

Specimens  examined. — Cambria  Co.,  Krings,  9 ;  Cresson  and  Summit,  6. 
Somerset  Co.,  Summit  Mills,  20. 

Raflnesque's  Deer  Mouse.     Peromyscus  leucopus  (Rafmesque). 

1818.  Musculus  leucopus  Rafinesque,  American  Monthly  Magazine,  vol.  3, 
p.  446. 

1895.  Peromyscus  leucopus  Thomas,  Annals  and  Magazine,  N.  History,  6th 
series,  vol.  16,  p.  192. 

Type  locality. — Pine  Barrens  of  Kentucky. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  austral  zone,  grading  into  the  subspecies  next 
considered  (noveboracensis},  in  the  transition  zone.  These  two  include 
practically  all  of  the  common  lowland  deer  or  white-footed  mice  ordinarily 
met  with  in  the  New  England  and  Middle  States  and  the  Ohio  Valley.  Two 
other  species  somewhat  overlap  its  range  in  the  edge  of  the  upper  austral 
zone,  the  Golden  mouse  (P.  nuttalli),*  a  very  distinct  species,  and  the  Cotton 

*  A  supposed  specimen  of  nuttalli  was  recorded  by  Baird  in  his  Mammals  of  N.  America, 
vol.  8  of  the  Pacific  R.  R.  Reports,  1857,  p.  468,  as  coming  from  the  Falls  of  Schuylkill,  Pa. 
I  agree  with  Coues  that  this  must  be  a  wrong  identification.  Baird  also  included  a  Carlisle, 
Pa.  skull  under  this  species,  but  there  is  enough  variation  in  leucopus  to  account  for  a  re- 
semblance in  this  to  one  of  nuttalli.  Baird  lists  it  after  a  question  mark. 


80  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

mouse  (P.  gossypinus) ,  similar  in  appearance  to  Rafinesque's  mouse  but  quite 
distinct  in  other  characters,  being  larger.  The  latter  does  not  come  nearer 
our  limits  than  eastern  Virginia  (possibly  southeastern  Maryland  and  south- 
ern Delaware),  but  the  former  has  been  taken  in  Maryland  and  may  occasion- 
ally straggle  along  the  eastern  foothills  of  the  Alleghany  Mts.  across  the  Pa. 
border. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Upper  austral  regions  of  both  states  in  uni- 
versal abundance,  except  in  southern  N.  J.,  in  the  pine  barren  and  coast 
region,  where  it  may  be  said  to  be  rare  but  not  absent  from  any  place  con- 
tiguous to  woods  or  thickets.  Found  in  its  most  typical  form  in  southern 
N.  J.  merging  into  subspecies  noveboracensis  at  elevations  of  about  1000  to 
1500  ft. 

Habits,  etc. — Essentially  the  same  as  those  above  given  for  Miller's  Deer 
Mouse.  Often  nesting  in  deserted  birds'  nests  among  thickets  and  briars  in- 
stead of  in  hollow  trees  and  logs  as  do  the  more  northern  forms.  This 
animal  does  some  damage  to  grain  crops  near  woodland,  carrying  away  and 
storing  large  quantities  for  so  small  an  animal  in  a  short  time.  As  this  is 
done  chiefly  in  winter  where  crops  have  been  neglected  or  unhoused,  the  fault 
lies  less  with  them  than  with  the  farmer.  Their  chief  diet  is  nuts,  buds,  bark, 
seeds  and  tuberous  roots  of  woodland  growth  so  that  they  are  not  to  be  ac- 
counted among  "noxious"  animals.  Although  so  abundant  they  seem  to 
rarely  fall  a  prey  to  hawks  and  owls  as  compared  with  the  meadow  mice  or 
even  the  shrews.  This  may  be  determined  by  the  ratio  of  their  skulls  in  the 
pellets  regurgitated  by  rapacious  birds.  Owing  to  their  exquisite  perception 
of  danger  in  all  its  forms  and  their  great  agility  in  leaping  and  climbing,  it  is 
probable  that  they  likewise  escape  being  made  a  very  large  part  of  the  diet 
of  weasels,  foxes,  skunks,  etc.,  as  compared  with  the  more  subterranean  mice 
and  shrews. 

Description  of  species. — P.  leucopus  and  its  northern  ally  P.  I.  noveboracensis 
may  be  distinguished  from  the  P.  canadensis  group  by  the  relative  shortness 
of  their  tails,  that  member  being  considerably  less  than  half  the  entire  length 
of  the  animal.  In  canadensis  the  tail  is  longer  than  the  head  and  body  and 
the  prevailing  color  is  a  dull  or  light  brownish  gray,  in  fact  very  little  real 
color  about  it,  but  in  the  leucopus  group  the  bright  and  dark  russet  or  fawn 
shades  are  a  striking  feature,  so  resembling  those  of  a  deer  as  to  suggest  the 
name,  deer  mouse.  A  comparison  of  deer  mice  from  the  lower  Delaware 
valley  with  those  found  in  the  upper  transition  areas  of  Pennsylvania  shows 
that  noveboracensis  is  of  a  duller  grayish  russet  on  the  back  and  sides,  the 
richness  of  color  observable  in  leucopus  being  dimmed  by  the  greater  amount 
of  gray  and  black-tipped  hairs.  The  darkly  contrasting  median  dorsal  area 
of  blackish  is  more  defined  in  leucopus,  and  the  fur  of  under  parts  is  purer 
white,  showing  less  the  plumbeous  bases  of  hairs.  The  difference  in  size  is 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  8 1 

•surprisingly  small,  in  fact  not  appreciable  in  comparing  ten  adults  from  Cum- 
berland Co.,  N.  J.,  with  a  like  series  from  Cambria  Co.,  Pa.,  all  measured  by 
the  same  collector. 

Measurements. — Total  length,  168  mm.  (6f6)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  75  (2Jf ;) 
hind  foot,  21  (^f)  ;  height  of  ear  from  crown,  15  (T95-). 

Specimens  examined. — Pa.,  50.     N.  J.,  125. 

Fischer's  Deer  Mouse.     Peromyscus  leucopu*  noveboracensis  (Fischer). 

1829.  \_Afus  sylvaticus~\  noveboracensis  Fischer,  Synopsis  Mammalium, 
p.  318. 

1897.  Peromyscus  leucopus  noveboracensis  Miller,  Proceedings  Boston  So- 
ciety N.  History,  vol.  28,  p.  22. 

lype  locality. — New  York. 

Faunal  distribution.— Transition  zones  and  lower  border  of  Canadian ; 
New  England  to  ( ?)  Minnesota. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Abundant  in  the  transition  limits  of  both 
•states ;  meeting  Miller's  deer  mouse  and  the  Cloudland  deer  mouse  on  the 
confines  of  the  primeval  coniferous  forests  at  a  height  of  about  2000  feet, 
losing  its  racial  distinctions  from  Rafinesque's  deer  mouse  at  about  1000  feet 
elevation. 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — See  under  distribution. 

Habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  under  preceding  species  of  Pero- 
myscus. 

Specimens  examined. — Pa.,  138.     N.  J.,  81. 

Genus  Oryzomys  Baird,  Mammals  of  N.  America,  1857,  p.  458. 
Northern  Rice  Rat  or  Marsh  Rat.     Oryzomys  palustn's  (Harlan). 

1837.  Mus  palustris  Harlan,  Silliman's  Amer.  Journal  Science  and  Arts, 
vol.  31,  p.  386. 

1857.   Oryzomys  palustris  Baird,  Mammals  of  North  America,  p.  459. 

Type  locality. — " '  Fast  Land,'  in  the  vicinity  of  Salem,"  N.  J. 

Faunal  distribution. — Brackish  and  salt  water  tide  marshes  of  the  lower 
and  middle  austral  zones ;  Delaware  Bay  to  Chesapeake  Bay  and  Potomac 
River. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Not  found  in  Pa.  Recorded  originally 
from  the  marshes  near  Salem,  N.  J.  Stated  by  trappers  to  be  still  found 
there.  Also  reported  to  live  in  the  marshes  of  Cohansey  creek  near  Green- 
wich, Cumberland  Co.,  and  recently  rediscovered  by  Henry  Warrington  in 
the  salt  marshes  of  Cedar  creek  near  Cedarville.  The  author  has  searched 
in  vain  for  it  at  Salem,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Maurice  River,  at  Tuckahoe  and 


82  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

at  Tuckerton.  Failure  at  these  places  may  have  been  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  more  inaccessible  tide  marshes  where  Warrington  found  his  specimens, 
were  not  visited.  It  seems  best  for  the  present  to  limit  its  N.  J.  range  to  the 
tidewater  lands  of  Delaware  Bay.  It  is  found  near  Greenwich,  Bay  Side  and 
Newtown. 

Records  in  N.  J. —  Cumberland  Co, — Two  specimens  were  captured  by 
Henry  W.  Warrington,  Nov.  21,  1898,  and  presented  by  him  to  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia.  He  "  states  that  the  specimens  were 
procured  on  the  marshes  bordering  Delaware  Bay  about  midway  between 
Port  Norris  and  Salem,  and  that  they  were  inhabiting  old  muskrat  houses,  in 
which  they  had  made  their  nests." — Stone,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila., 
1898,  pp.  480,  481.  Specimens  have  been  secured  in  January  the  present 
winter  and  one  sent  to  me  from  near  Greenwich.  In  March,  1902,  I  caught 
several  in  muskrat  houses  on  the  brackish  marshes  of  Cohansey  creek,  about 
2  miles  from  the  bay.  I  was  informed  that  they  were  found  at  Bay  Side  in 
similar  places  and  up  Nantuxent  creek  as  far  as  Newtown.  No  doubt  the 
tide  marshes  of  the  entire  county  are  tenanted  by  them. — Rhoads. 

Salem  Co. — The  following  is  extracted  from  Dr.  Harlan's  original  descrip- 
tion of  this  rat :  "  Habitat — Found  in  the  fresh  water  swamps  of  New  Jersey 
and  South  Carolina.  The  present  specimen  was  taken  near  '  Fast  Land '  in 
the  vicinity  of  Salem.  A  similar  specimen  was  sent  to  me  by  Dr.  Bachman, 
of  Charleston,  S.  C.— Cab.  of  A.  N.  S.,  Phila."— Harlan,  Amer.  Journal  Sci. 
and  Arts,  vol.  31,  1837,  p.  386. 

In  my  field  efforts  to  secure  topotypes  of  this  animal  I  have  been  unsuc- 
cessful, though  informed  by  several  muskrat  trappers  that  they  are  found  in 
the  marshes  of  Salem  creek.  No  doubt  this  is  true,  though  the  animal  is  by 
them  confused  with  the  young  Norway  rats  found  in  the  dikes,  as  evidenced 
by  a  specimen  of  the  latter  sent  me  for  an  Oryzomys.  A  letter  from  Josiah 
Wistar,  an  old  resident  of  Salem,  in  answer  to  inquiry  as  to  the  meaning  of 
"Fast  Land,"  states  "The  term  '  Fast  Land'  used  by  Dr.  Harlan  in  1836  was 
probably  intended  to  distinguish  what  we  here  call  upland  as  tillable  land 
from  marsh,  or  the  land  that  has  been  reclaimed  from  the  tides ;  so  that  no 
particular  or  exact  locality  was  intended  to  be  specified."  This  explanation, 
in  view  of  the  absence  of  this  species  in  this  region  from  upland,  as  con- 
clusively proved  by  myself  and  others,  leaves  us  as  much  in  the  dark  as  ever. 

Historical  references. — "  The  type  of  the  genus  Oryzomys  was  discovered 
by  Bachman  in  1816  in  the  marshes  of  South  Carolina.  Twenty  years  later 
he  sent  a  specimen  to  Drs.  Pickering  and  Harlan  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  at  Philadelphia.  Bachman  [provisionally]  named  this  new  rodent 
Arvicola  oryzivora  and  requested  that  a  comparison  be  made  between  his 
specimen  and  the  Anncola  riparia  of  Ord,  with  which  he  was  not  familiar. 
The  comparison  was  made  by  Dr.  Harlan,  who  incidentally  found  a  specimen 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  83 

of  Bachman's  new  species  in  the  Academy  collection.  This  specimen  was 
labeled  as  being  taken  near  Fastland,  near  Salem,  New  Jersey,  and  Dr.  Har- 
lan,  who  was  apparently  unable  to  withstand  the  temptation  of  affixing  his 
name  to  a  new  species,  pigeon-holed  Bachman's  manuscript  and  himself  de- 
scribed the  New  Jersey  specimen,  under  the  name  Mus  palustris.  ...  In 
commenting  on  this  obviously  unfair  treatment,  Bachman  states  [Quadrupeds' 
of  N.  America,  vol.  3,  1853,  p.  216]  that  Dr.  Harlan  made  use  of  the  head  of 
the  South  Carolina  specimen  for  an  examination  of  the  teeth.  Harlan,  how- 
ever, makes  no  mention  of  Bachman's  specimen  beyond  the  brief  remark  just 
quoted  [see  antea,  under  Salem  Co.  records],  and  the  type  locality  of  Ory- 
zomys palustris  is,  therefore,  New  Jersey.  It  is  true  that  the  type  is  the  only 
specimen  known  to  have  been  taken  in  the  state,  but  in  view  of  the  recent 
discovery  by  Messrs.  Rhoads  and  Stone  of  Synaptomys  and  Evotomys  in 
southern  New  Jersey,  we  may  conclude  our  knowledge  of  the  mammalogy  of 
the  region  may  receive  still  further  additions." — Chapman,  Bulletin  Amer. 
Mus.  Nat.  History,  N.  York,  vol.  5,  1893,  pp.  43,  44.  See  also  Stone  (Proc. 
A.  N.  S.,  sup.  cit.),  who  goes  over  the  same  historical  ground,  adding  remarks 
on  the  failure  of  Rhoads,  up  to  that  time,  in  rediscovering  the  rat  in  N.  J. 
and  that  for  various  reasons  the  identity  of  the  Academy  specimen  was  be- 
coming more  doubtful  and  with  it  the  right  of  Oryzomys  to  a  place  in  the 
N.  J.  fauna.  It  should  be  stated  that  I  made  a  careful  search  in  1892  for  the 
type  specimen  referred  to  without  either  finding  it  or  any  entry  of  it  in  the 
catalogue.  Harlan  may  have  mislaid  or  lost  the  specimen,  or  disposed  of  it 
in  a  manner  no  less  questionable  than  his  treatment  of  Bachman. — Rhoads. 

"  The  specimen  in  the  collection  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  which 
Harlan  used,  was  evidently  without  a  skull  and  was  supposed  to  have  come 
from  Fastland,  near  Salem,  New  Jersey.  If  this  locality  was  correct,  the 
:specimen  in  question  was  probably  not  an  Oryzomys  at  all.  Anyway,  Harlan 
used  the  skull  of  Dr.  Bachman's  South  Carolina  specimen  (as  positively  stated 
by  Bachman  himself)  in  drawing  up  his  description,  and  as  the  skull  was  of 
course  the  important  factor  in  determining  the  new  species,  it  seems  that 
South  Carolina  must  unquestionably  be  regarded  as  the  type  locality  of  Ory- 
zomys palustris" — Bangs,  Proceedings  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  History,  vol.  28, 
1898,  p.  1 88,  foot-note. 

Mr.  Bangs'  endeavor  to  transfer  the  type  locality  of  this  species  to  South 
Carolina,  in  the  light  of  the  Warrington  and  Rhoads  captures,  now  loses  its 
only  possible  claim  to  recognition.  His  remarks  as  to  the  use  of  the  Carolina 
skull  by  Harlan  in  no  way  invalidate  Harlan's  right  to  make,  as  was  his  in- 
tention, the  Salem  specimen  his  type,  no  mention  being  made  of  the  source 
of  the  dental  characters  given  in  his  description.  Mr.  Bangs'  supposition  that 
the  Salem  type  contained  no  skull  is  not  provable,  and  Bachman's  statement 
that  Harlan  used  the  skull  of  his  Carolina  type,  in  drawing  up  the  characters 


84  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

of  palustris  was  only  based  on  circumstantial  evidence,  so  far  as  appears  in 
his  account  of  the  affair. — Rhoads. 

Habits,  etc. — I  have  the  following  notes  from  a  muskrat  trapper  near 
Greenwich  who  procured  some  of  these  water-rats  for  me  on  the  tide  marshes 
of  Cohansey  Creek :  "  Found  on  all  tide  marshes  in  this  locality.  Uses  same 
runs  as  the  muskrat  and  gets  caught  in  the  same  traps.  Perfect  specimens 
hard  to  get,  as  they  devour  each  other  when  fast  in  traps.  Have  seen  them 
in  nests  up  among  the  reeds  but  believe  the  nests  were  built  by  marsh  wren& 
and  confiscated  by  the  rats.  They  live  in  holes  in  the  big  muskrat  houses, 
which  are  mounds  of  reed  and  mud  on  our  salt  marshes  where  the  tide  rises 
and  falls  5  feet.  I  have  never  seen  them  on  the  upland,  but  frequently  found 
them  on  oyster  boats  tied  to  the  banks.  They  will  walk  a  line  to  get  on  board,, 
and  once  there,  will  gnaw  holes  in  the  sails  and  build  a  nest.  I  think  they 
are  principally  vegetarians,  but  when  hungry  will  eat  meat  or  anything  that 
comes  handy.  They  do  not  live  in  colonies  but  are  scattered  over  the 
marshes.  They  swim  like  a  duck  but  do  not  move  about  in  daytime." 

Mr.  Bangs  says  of  the  rice-field  mouse  of  Georgia  ( Oryzomys  oryzivorus~ 
(Aud.  and  Bachm.) ),  "while  perhaps  preferring  fresh  and  salt-water  marshes 
as  its  abode,  it  is  by  no  means  confined  to  such  places.  I  have  caught  it  in 
dry,  old  fields,  heavy  swamps  and  hummocks,  and  even  on  sand  hills." 

Bachman  says  of  it :  "  It  burrows  in  the  dykes  or  dams  [of  the  Georgia 
rice  fields]  a  few  inches  above  the  line  of  the  usual  rise  of  the  water.  Its 
burrow  is  seldom  much  beyond  a  foot  in  depth.  It  has  a  compact  nest  at  the 
extremity,  where  it  produces  its  young  in  April.  There  are  usually  4  or  5.  A 
singular  part  of  the  history  of  the  rice  mouse  is  the  fact  that  in  the  extensive 
salt  marshes  along  the  borders  of  Ashley  and  Cooper  Rivers,  this  species  is 
frequently  found  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  dry  ground.  Its  nest  is  sus- 
pended on  a  bunch  of  interlaced  marsh  grass.  In  this  situation  we  observed- 
one  with  five  young.  It  has  no  disrelish  to  the  small  Crustacea  and  mollusks 
that  remain  on  the  mud  at  the  rising  of  the  tide.  In  an  attempt  at  capturing 
some  alive,  they  swam  so  actively  and  dived  so  far  from  us,  that  the  majority 
escaped." 

In  the  latter  part  of  March,  1902,  I  visited  the  Cohansey  Creek  marshes- 
and  secured  several  of  this  interesting  species.  They  were  only  found  in  the 
tops  of  muskrat  houses  scattered  over  the  salt  marshes  at  the  head  of  ordinary 
high  tide.  These  houses  invariably  had  underground  connection  with  a  tide 
ditch  by  which  not  only  the  muskrat,  but  other  tenants  of  the  house,  viz.,. 
Oryzomys,  Microtus  and  Sorex,  could  escape  when  the  house  was  attacked 
f/om  without.  The  runways  of  the  water-rat  and  meadow- mouse  often  com- 
pletely riddled  the  whole  structure  of  the  muskrat's  house  and  descended  into 
the  marsh  itself,  making  connection  with  the  waterway  exit  of  their  host. 
When  it  was  torn  to  pieces,  the  nests  of  the  smaller  tenants  of  the  muskrat 


I! 
I! 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY.  8$ 

house  were  found  to  be  placed  just  above  tide  level  near  the  top  of  the  house. 
They  were  globular  and  composed  of  fine  grass,  several  being  made  in  one 
house.  All  four  species,  musk-rat,  water-rat,  meadow-mouse  and  shrew,  as- 
sociated in  one  house,  how  amicably  I  cannot  say.  Newly-born  meadow- 
mice  were  found  in  two  houses.  The  water-rats  did  not  take  preferably  to 
water  when  exposed,  but  endeavored  to  hide  among  the  reeds  and  debris. 
Only  i  out  of  15  observed  was  seen  to  dive  and  swim  away.  It  swam  swiftly, 
like  a  muskrat,  wholly  under  water.  During  high  water  they  were  most  easily 
caught,  being  loth  to  leave  their  abodes.  Some  were  found  half  a  mile  from 
upland  on  the  marsh.  None  were  found  breeding.  They  are  considered  a 
nuisance  by  muskrat  trappers,  as  during  ebb  tide  they  prowl  about  the  run- 
ways and  "leads"  of  the  rats  and  frequently  spring  their  traps,  even  when 
under  water.  They  also  gnaw  the  bodies  of  the  dead  rats  and  mutilate  their 
skins.  When  ousted  from  their  nests,  they  leap  about  like  a  rat,  but  do  not 
show  fight  as  does  the  meadow-mouse. 

Description  of  species.* — The  series  of  N.  J.  specimens  of  Oryzomys  recently 
secured,  shows  that  the  typical  northern  animal  is  shorter  and  heavier  built, 
with  shorter  tail,  ears  and  feet  and,  relatively,  a  much  larger  skull  than 
those  from  Georgia,  the  type  locality  of  Bachman's  Oryzomys  palustris  ory- 
ziverus.  In  color,  palustris  is  lighter  and  grayer,  the  brownish  tints  in  oryziv- 
erus  being  replaced  by  pale  tawny.  Northern  North  Carolina  specimens  are 
almost  exactly  intermediate.  I  would  class  them  with  oryziverus,  making  the 
natural  geographic  limit  of  palustris  typicus,  the  Chesapeake  Bay  and  Poto- 
mac River.  I  am  informed  they  are  found  in  muskrat  houses  on  the  Mary- 
land peninsula.  The  colors  of  this  rat  are  almost  precisely  like  those  of  the 
Norway  rat.  The  appearance  of  the  tail  is  also  similar,  but  the  ears  are  less 
hairy.  In  adult  size  it  equals,  sometimes  exceeding,  a  half- grown  rat. 

Measurements. — (Series  of  6  old  adults  from  N.  J.)  Total  length,  237 
mm. ;  tail  vert.,  108  ;  hind  foot,  29 ;  ear  from  crown,  12.  (Series  of  3  from 
Georgia,  Bangs'  collection)  :  255-118-30-15.  The  skull  of  the  largest  N.  J. 
male,  whose  total  tail  and  body  length  is  15  mm.  less  than  that  of  the  largest 
male  from  Georgia,  has  a  skull  i  mm.  longer  and  2  mm.  broader  than  the 
latter. 

Genus  Neotoma  Say  and  Ord,  Journal,  Academy  Natural  Sciences,  Philada., 
1825,  vol.  4,  p.  345. 

Allegheny  Cave  Rat.     Neotoma  pennsylvanica  Stone. 

(?)  1857.  Neotoma  magister  Baird,  Mammals  of  N.  America,  p.  498 
(described  from  fossil  specimens  in  Carlisle,  Pa.,  caves). 

*  See  also  Rhoads,  American  Naturalist,  Aug.,  1902,  pp.  661-663. 


86  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

1893.  Neotoma  pennsylvanica  Stone,  Proceedings  Academy  Natural 
Sciences,  Philada.,  p.  16. 

Type  locality. — Lewis's  Cave  Rocks,  6  m.  from  Pine  Grove,  Cumberland 
Co.,  Pennsylvania. 

Faunal  distribution. — From  border  of  lower  Canadian  through  the  transi- 
tion zone.  Also  in  isolated  caves  of  the  upper  austral  zone.  Eastern  Massa- 
chusetts to  Mississippi  valley ;  South  in  mountains  to  N.  Carolina.  Extremely 
local  in  its  habitat,  being  absent  from  extensive  regions  faunally  and  topo- 
graphically connecting  the  eastern  and  western  extremes  of  their  distribution. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  "J. — From  records  received,  this  native  rat  is 
found  at  the  present  day  chiefly  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  Pa.,  but  it 
occasionally  descends  to  the  cliffs  and  limestone  caves  of-  the  great  river  val- 
leys. Most  diligent  inquiry  and  field  work  in  Pa.  east  of  Pine  Creek  and 
Williamsport  in  Lycoming  and  Tioga  Cos.,  and  in  the  entire  country  drained 
by  the  eastern  and  northern  branches  of  the  Susquehanna  and  all  of  the 
Delaware  River  drainage  area,  has  failed  to  locate  this  rat's  existence  in 
recent  times.  The  remains  of  a  very  closely  allied  fossil  species  (see  N. 
magister]  have  been  found  in  Durham  Cave,  Bucks  Co.  and  in  Hartman's 
Cave,  Monroe  Co.  in  the  Delaware  Valley,  but  no  living  Neotoma  now  appears 
to  exist  in  these  places.  West  of  the  Susquehanna  and  Pine  Creek,  from 
York  to  Fayette  Cos.  and  from  the  Laurel  Hill  range  north  to  eastern  Mc- 
Kean  Co.  and  east  to  Tioga  Co.,  there  is  a  large  section  of  middle  Pa.,  in 
shape  like  a  truncated  triangle  based  on  the  Maryland  line,  where  this  species 
is  quite  uniformly  distributed.  No  county  included  in  this  area  is  probably 
without  them,  but  often  so  sparingly  distributed  and  in  such  out-of-the-way 
places  that  many  hunters  and  trappers  have  overlooked  them  entirely. 

In  N.  J.  the  only  locality  yet  known  to  be  inhabited  by  them  is  the  Bear- 
fort  Mountain  south  of  Greenwood  Lake.  They  have  been  taken  on  the 
Hudson  highlands  both  in  New  York  and  Massachusetts,  but  do  not  appear 
to  exist  in  the  Palisades  of  N.  J. 

Records  in  Pa. — Adams  Co. — "In  rocky  gorges  in  South  Mountain  near 
Graffenburg." — Strealy.  Skins  of  two  of  these  examined. — Rhoads. 

Bedford  Co. — Four  specimens  taken  by  Ingersoll  at  Cook's  Mills. — Rhoads. 

Cambria  Co. — Three  specimens  taken  near  Walsall,  in  1896,  by  Ingersoll. 
— Rhoads.  "  I  have  seen  them  in  the  Laurel  Hill  mountains  near  Johnstown 
among  the  rocky  clefts." — Shields,  1900. 

Centre  Co. — "I  have  seen  the  species  in  Centre  Co." — Warren,  Poultry 
Book,  1897,  p.  515. 

Clinton  Co. — Abundant  in  all  parts  of  the  Co. ;  coming  down  the  moun- 
tains in  winter  into  the  barns  along  the  Sinnemahoning  Valley.  Frequenting 
rock  piles  in  the  high,  flat  woods  and  cliffs  and  caves  on  the  mountain  sides. 
About  fifty  specimens  examined  from  this  county,  from  Round  Island,  Renovo 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  87 

and  Drury's  Run. — Rhoads.  Abundant  in  the  rocky  woods  around  Mill  Hall. 
— Pfoutz. 

Cumberland  Co. — Lewis's  Cave  rocks,  about  6  miles  from  Pine  Grove  fur- 
nace in  South  Mountain  near  the  junction  of  the  Adams,  Franklin  and  Cum- 
berland Co.  lines,  was  the  spot  from  which  Mr.  Stone's  type  specimens  of  this 
species  were  taken.  I  visited  this  locality  in  1893,  soon  after  the  type  had 
been  trapped,  and  found  it  characteristic  of  the  haunts  of  this  rat  as  found  in 
Clinton  Co.  No  specimens  were  secured,  but  a  young  one  was  seen  in  this 
place.  Their  nests  and  rubbish  indicated  a  long  possession  of  this  retreat. 
Other  such  retreats  were  noted  higher  up  the  mountain  sides  in  two  direc- 
tions.— Rhoads.  Specimens  of  the  remains  of  a  closely-allied  species  of  cave 
rat  from  the  caves  near  Carlisle  in  this  Co.  were  made  the  types  of  Baird's 
Neotoma  magister.  No  living  representatives  of  Neotoma  now  inhabit  these 
caves,  or  did  not  at  the  time  of  my  visit  there  in  1893.  As  will  be  seen  later 
on,  I  have  heretofore  contended  that  these  fossil  remains  are  of  an  animal 
specifically  identical  with  the  living  species. — Rhoads. 

Franklin  Co. — Two  taken  near  Graffenburg  were  sent  me  by  Mr.  Strealy 
for  examination.^Rhoads. 

Huntingdon  Co. — "  I  have  seen  the  species  in  Huntingdon  Co." — Warren, 
Poultry  Book,  1897,  p.  515. 

Juniata  Co. — See  Warren,  ibid. 

McKean  Co. — Not  known  near  Colegrove. — W.  C.  Dickeson.  "  The  cave 
or  wood-rat  was  a  native  of  the  mountain  district  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
McKean  Co.  This  range  of  mountains  divide  the  waters  of  the  Allegheny 
and  Susquehanna.  I  have  not  heard  of  one  of  these  rats  being  caught  or 
seen  for  15  or  20  years." — C.  W.  Dickinson,  1900. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "Remains  of  this  animal  [Neotoma  magister?'}, 
both  fossilized  and  those  apparently  quite  recent,  were  taken  in  1880  from 
Hartman's  Cave,  in  Monroe  Co.,  by  T.  D.  Paret,  of  Stroudsburg.  I  have,  as 
yet,  been  unable  to  determine  whether  this  interesting  animal  is  still  living  in 
that  county  or  in  Pike  Co.  The  evidence  of  every  sort  is  negative,  and  this 
after  the  most  diligent  inquiry  [these  remarks  still  hold  good  in  1902].  I 
personally  explored  several  ledges,  notably  those  of  High  Knob  and  the  cliffs 
along  the  Delaware  south  of  Milford  without  finding  a  trace  of  their  existence. 
It  is  not  impossible,  however,  that  the  recent  habitat  of  this  species  may  be 
traced,  by  isolated  localities,  along  the  Blue  Ridge  from  South  Mountain  to 
the  Hudson  River  Highlands."— Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1894, 
p.  390. 

Somerset  Co.—  Two  specimens  of  "wood-rat,"  taken  Jan.  2,  1900,  near 
New  Lexington,  were  presented  to  the  Carnegie  Museum  by  Dr.  H.  D.  Moore. 

Todd.  D.  G.  Barclay  trapped  "mountain  rats"  2^  miles  south  of  Trent, 

and  Jacob  Philippi  trapped  them  4  miles  south  of  Rockwood. — Moore.  A 
specimen  was  taken  at  Summit  Mills  by  J.  C.  Ingersoll  in  1896.— Rhoads. 


88  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Sullivan,  Lycoming,  Wyoming,  Lackawanna,  Wayne,  Luzerne,  Carbon, 
Northampton  and  Lehigh  Cos. — Numerous  competent  observers  from  the 
large  area  of  country  included  by  these  counties  agree  that  this  rat  is  un- 
known in  that  region.  The  probability  of  the  discovery  of  this  rat  in  the 
Blue  Ridge  of  Berks  and  Schuylkill  Cos.  is  indicated  by  the  following  quota- 
tion from  "  Pennants'  History  of  Quadrupeds,"  1781,  page  441,  under  caption 
of  "American  Rat."  "Mr.  Bartram  [in  Kalm's  Trav.,  1771,  pp.  47,  48] 
mentions  the  rat,  but  does  not  determine  the  species,  which  lives  among  the 
stones  and  caverns  in  the  Blue  Mountains,  far  from  mankind ;  comes  out  at 
night  and  makes  a  terrible  noise,  but  in  very  severe  weather  keeps  silent 
within  its  holes." 

Tioga  Co. — "  Have  heard  of  them  in  Tioga  Co." — Cleveland,  1900. 

Westmoreland  Co. — I  secured  a  specimen  from  Laurel  Hill,  about  three 
miles  above  Laughlintown  on  the  road  to  Jenner,  in  1 898. — Rhoads. 

York  Co. — Near  York  Furnace  station,  in  the  Wind  Caves  along  the  Sus- 
quehanna  River,  J.  S.  Witmer  saw  one  alive  in  June,  1897.  His  unsolicited 
testimony  as  to  the  peculiar  characters  of  this  animal,  contrasted  with  those 
of  other  rats,  makes  this  identification  reliable. — Stone.  Prof.  Justin  Roddy 
of  Millersville  writes  me  he  has  specimens  from  the  Wind  Caves. — Rhoads, 
1903. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Passaic  Co. — "  Soon  after  my  arrival  at  Greenwood 
Lake,  I  was  told  by  a  local  sportsman  that  he  had  once  caught  a  '  wood-rat ' 
on  the  nearby  mountain  in  a  dead-fall  set  for  skunks.  The  summits  of  Green- 
wood [Bearfort]  mountain  at  the  south  end  of  the  lake  are  made  up  exclu- 
sively of  great  masses  of  glaciated  conglomerate  and  shale.  Chestnut  and 
scrub  oaks  and  dwarfed  pines  and  hemlocks  sparingly  cover  the  nakedness  of 
this  desolate  but  picturesque  locality.  .  .  .  After  nearly  two  days  of  climbing 
here,  I  stumbled  upon  an  escarpment  from  which  the  rock  masses  had  so 
fallen  into  the  gorge  as  to  form  a  roof.  Beneath  this,  unmistakable  signs  of 
the  rats  were  found,  and  in  the  two  following  days,  three  specimens  were 
trapped." — Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  28. 

Warren  Co. — "  I  was  informed  by  a  hunter  at  Delaware  Gap  that  he 
knew  of  such  an  animal  on  the  Kittatinny  mountain  in  Warren  Co.  This 
statement  I  was  unable  to  verify,  owing  to  my  short  stay  at  that  place." — 
Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  28. 

Habits,  etc. — The  following  remarks  relate  to  a  visit  made  in  the  spring  of 
1893  to  the  Lewis'  Cave  rocks  from  which  Mr.  J.  G.  Dillin  secured  the  types 
of  Mr.  Witmer  Stone's  Neotoma  pennsylvanica :  "  The  rocks  lie  at  the  top  of 
the  mountain  and  form  the  culminating  point  of  a  rocky  outcrop  topping  the 
ridge  for  a  mile  or  more  in  this  locality,  and  which  at  intervals  assumes  a 
very  rugged  and  castellated  outline.  The  cave  rats  live  in  the  more  inac- 
cessible fissures  and  clefts  of  these  rocks,  selecting  for  their  dormitories  those 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  89 

which  are  most  secure  from  the  approach  or  entrance  of  the  predaceous 
animals  which  abound  in  such  situations.  The  entrances  and  passageways  to 
these  abodes  are  loosely  barricaded  with  sticks,  stones,  leaves,  feathers, 
bones,  horse  and  cow  droppings,  buttons,  glass,  tin,  egg-shells,  cartridge- 
cases,  and  other  cast-away  evidences  of  the  sojourn  of  men  and  animals  in 
this  spot.  Many  of  the  sticks  are  three  to  four  feet  long  and  an  inch  in 
diameter,  and  must  have  required  the  concerted  strength  of  several  rats  to 
move,  and  not  a  little  ingenuity  to  convey  up  and  over  the  precipitous  clefts 
to  their  resting-place.  The  bones  were  those  of  deer,  smaller  carnivora, 
birds,  and  other  animals  brought  thither  by  man  and  beast,  or  which  had 
sought  refuge  among  the  clefts  to  die.  I  was  unable,  from  the  nature  of  their 
fastnesses,  and  lack  of  time  and  proper  implements,  to  penetrate  their  dor- 
mitories, and  owing  to  the  pilfering  foxes,  lost  the  only  specimens  that  got 
into  my  traps.  One  half-grown  rat  was  seen  running  among  the  rocks.  It 
was  lighter  gray  than  adult  specimens.  Quantities  of  gnawed  acorn  hulls 
strewed  their  hiding  places,  and  were  the  chief  evidences  of  the  diet  of  this 
species.  These  acorns  grow  abundantly  on  the  scrub  oaks,  Quercus  banisteri, 
characteristic  of  these  mountain  tops.  While  its  main  food  supply  is  vege- 
table, no  doubt  these  rats  are  omnivorous,  and  take  every  opportunity  to 
satisfy  their  carnivorous  appetite.  The  gnawed  condition  of  the  bones  of 
recent  mammalia  found  in  Pennsylvania  cave  deposits,  is  to  my  mind  almost 
solely  due  to  the  work  of  this  quadruped,  a  critical  examination  of  these 
marks  showing  not  only  their  rodent  origin,  but  that  their  size  and  character 
fit  no  tooth  so  well  as  that  of  magister. 

"  I  am  informed  by  Mr.  H.  C.  Mercer  (whose  recent  explorations  of  Vir- 
ginia caves  have  been  ably  outlined  in  a  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, dated  July  4,  1894)  that  the  Virginia  cave  rats  build  a  sub-globular 
nest  of  grass,  etc.,  on  the  cave  floor,  and  that  these  are  so  well  made  inter- 
nally as  to  resist  considerable  kicking  about.  Prof.  E.  D.  Cope,  who  secured 
the  two  specimens  of  magister  tabulated  above,  from  a  cave  in  Wythe  Co., 
Virginia,  tells  me  that  these  nests  are  placed  at  or  near  the  sides  of  the  cave, 
and  are  often  large  enough  to  fill  a  bushel  basket." — Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N. 
Sci.,  1894,  pp.  219,  220. 

"  My  experience  with  the  cave  rat  in  Kentucky  is  confined  to  an  unsuccess- 
ful attempt  to  capture  them  in  Mammoth  Cave  during  a  visit  there  in  April, 
1895,  in  company  with  Professor  R.  E.  Call.  At  that  time  I  examined  their 
rendezvous  and  conversed  with  some  of  the  guides  concerning  them.  Sub- 
sequently I  received  alive  an  adult  male  specimen,  and  studied  the  habits  of 
the  animal  in  captivity  for  nearly  a  month  before  sacrificing  its  life  to  science. 

The  only  place  where  I  noted  evidences  of  this  animal  in  Mammoth  Cave 
was  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  entrance,  in  the  wide  passageway 
known  as  The  Main  Cave. 


90  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

Piles  of  loose  stones  line  the  sides  of  the  cavern  at  this  point,  and  along 
the  foot  of  the  arching  walls  are  strewn  the  indescribable  collection  of 
materials  with  which  this  animal  is  sure  to  adorn  and  litter  its  by-ways. 
Among  these  were  found  the  nuts  and  seeds  of  various  trees  and  plants  grow- 
ing around  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  showing  unmistakably  the  chief  source  of 
their  food  supply,  and  that  they  by  no  means  confine  their  wanderings  to  the 
cave  itself.  I  was  unable  to  find  the  nests  or  remains  of  the  rats,  but  the 
numberless  narrow  passageways,  stone  heaps,  and  crevices  undoubtedly  con- 
cealed these  from  search  as  well  as  the  live  animals.  Of  their  numbers  it  was 
impossible  to  get  information.  The  guides  rarely  see  them,  and  their  haunts 
seem  to  be  largely  confined  to  the  particular  locality  I  have  mentioned.  No 
instance  had  come  to  their  (the  guides')  notice  of  the  rats  building  a  nest 
openly  on  the  floor  of  the  cave,  as  has  been  stated  to  be  the  custom  of  the 
same  species  in  the  caves  of  Virginia. 

The  rat  from  Mammoth  Cave,  which  I  kept  alive,  was  so  precisely  a 
duplicate,  both  in  appearance  and  actions,  of  one  I  had  previously  studied 
and  which  came  from  Clinton  County,  Pennsylvania,  that  the  thought  of  their 
being  different  species  or  races  could  not  be  entertained,  and  the  examina- 
tion of  their  anatomy  confirms  such  a  negative  view. 

Any  suspicion  of  blindness  or  deficient  eyesight,  such  as  is  exemplified  in 
some  of  the  lower  orders  of  animal  life  in  the  cave,  cannot  attach  to  this 
mammal.  As  in  all  the  more  strictly  nocturnal  rodents,  the  eyes  of  this 
species  are  greatly  developed ;  nevertheless,  they  are  able  to  make  most 
intelligent  use  of  them  in  broad  daylight,  if  need  be.  My  pet  cave  rat  was 
very  sleepy  in  the  daytime,  and  if  given  the  materials  would  quickly  make  a 
globular  nest  in  which  to  hide.  The  favorite  position  of  rest  was  on  the  side, 
coiled,  with  the  nose  resting  on  the  abdomen  and  tail  curled  around  the 
body.  It  frequently  would  "  sit  on  its  head,"  as  it  were,  by  leaning  forward 
and  placing  its  nose  near  the  root  of  the  tail,  that  member  acting  as  a  sort  of 
prop  to  prevent  the  animal  from  turning  a  somersault  in  its  sleep.  Some- 
times it  would  lie  stretched  out  at  full  length  on  its  side,  the  tail  straight  and 
the  hind  feet  extended  to  their  farthest  limit.  It  invariably  picked  up  objects 
with  its  teeth,  though  its  fore-feet  were  quite  capable  of  the  service,  and  the 
dexterity  with  which  it  would  manipulate  a  nut  with  one  or  both  paws  was 
astonishing.  In  eating  this  kind  of  food  it  would  quickly  rasp  a  small  hole, 
and,  inserting  the  long  lower  incisors,  clip  off  pieces  of  the  kernel  and  extract 
them  with  great  adroitness  through  an  opening  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
in  diameter.  All  kinds  of  vegetable  and  animal  food  were  acceptable  to  it, 
but  it  seemed  to  prefer  nuts  and  grain  to  anything  else,  though  cabbage  and 
apples  were  a  favorite  dessert,  and  it  greatly  enjoyed  sharpening  its  teeth  on 
candy  toys.  It  was  a  great  drinker,  lapping  water  like  a  dog.  In  defending 
itself  it  would  stand  on  its  hind  legs  and  strike  with  great  force  with  the  fore 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  gi 

feet,  at  the  same  time  laying  hold  on  an  object  thrust  toward  it  with  great 
strength  and  forcing  it  toward  a  distant  part  of  the  cage.  The  odor  of  this 
animal,  even  under  ordinary  conditions  of  care,  is  almost  suffocating,  and  far 
more  mephitic  than  that  of  the  Norway  rat.  When  investigating  an  object, 
the  coarse  and  prominent  whiskers  of  this  rat  are  vibrated  with  astonishing 
rapidity,  forming  a  sort  of  halo  about  the  face  because  of  their  incessant 
motion.  The  function  of  these  organs  must  be  highly  specialized  in  this 
Neotoma,  and  undoubtedly  has  to  do  with  its  subterranean  habits.  On  no 
occasion  did  any  of  my  caged  rats  utter  a  cry,  save  a  sort  of  grunting  squeak 
when  they  yawned  forcibly." — Rhoads,  Journ.  Cincinnati  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  voL 
19,  1897,  pp.  54  to  56. 

A  nest  of  this  species  found  in  a  small  cavern  near  the  crest  of  the  moun- 
tain at  the  sources  of  Cook's  Run,  Clinton  Co.,  was  set  among  loose  boulders 
at  the  hinder  end  of  the  cavern  and  was  composed  externally  of  oak  leaves, 
small  branches,  sticks  and  moss.  Within  this  mass,  which  would  nearly  fill  a 
half  bushel  measure,  the  nest  proper  was  composed  of  grass  and  long  strip- 
pings  of  inner  bark  of  chestnut  and  hemlock  in  a  spherical  form,  with  a  single 
entrance,  so  far  as  could  be  discovered,  the  nest  being  much  damaged  in 
extricating  it.  It  is  now  on  exhibition  at  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,. 
Philadelphia. 

Owing  to  its  preference  for  uninhabited  localities,  this  rat  rarely  enters  into 
economic  relations  to  men.  It  sometimes  makes  its  home  in  the  outbuildings 
or  humble  cabins  of  the  wilderness  settlers  when  they  happen  to  locate  near 
the  hiding  places  of  this  animal.  In  such  instances  they  are  both  mischievous 
and  destructive,  hiding  away  much  more  than  they  devour.  Like  the  camp 
rat  or  pack  rat  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  they  are,  to  some  extent,  a  nuisance 
to  hunters,  lumbermen  and  miners  during  their  temporary  sojourn  in  the  wil- 
derness haunts  of  this  species,  but  any  permanent  inroads  of  civilization  into- 
their  territory  result  in  their  speedy  extermination.  They  appear  to  defy  the 
encroachments  of  the  Old  World  rats,  M.  rattus  and  M.  norvegicus,  when 
they  come  in  contact. 

Description  of  species, — For  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  unable  to  look  up 
the  literature  to  which  references  have  been  made  concerning  the  relations  of 
N.  pennsylvanica  and  N.  magister,  it  may  be  stated  that  Professor  Baird's 
name  of  Neotoma  magister  for  this  rat  was  originally  applied  to  what  he  con- 
sidered a  fossil  species,  described  from  some  lower  maxillaries  taken  in  a  cave- 
near  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania.  Similar  remains  were  afterward  found  in  other 
caves,  but  it  was  not  till  1893  that  Mr.  Witmer  Stone  announced  the  discovery 
of  a  living  Neotoma  in  the  South  Mountain,  not  many  miles  distant  from  the 
Carlisle  cavern  which  produced  Baird's  types.  To  this  animal  Mr.  Stone  gave 
the  name  Neotoma  pennsylvanica.  Not  long  after,  I  made  a  comparison  of 
the  remains  of  the  extinct  (  ?)  rat  with  Mr.  Stone's  types,  and  in  "A  Contribu- 


92  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

tion  to  the  Life  History  of  the  Allegheny  Cave  Rat"  (1.  c.),  endeavored  to 
show  that  the  living  and  so-called  "  fossil "  Neotomtz  were  specifically  the 
same.  In  his  Review  of  the  Neotomyina  (1.  c.),  Dr.  Merriam  considers  them 
distinct,  but  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  in  a  recent  paper,  inclines  to  the  belief  that  they 
are  identical.  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns  and  G.  S.  Miller,  Jr.,  now  (Bull.  Amer.  Mus. 
N.  History,  1898,  pp.  334,  335,  and  Bull.  N.  York  State  Mus.,  1899,  p.  318) 
agree  that  the  fossil  and  recent  species  are  distinct,  having  compared  Baird's 
types  with  skulls  of  pennsylvanica.  The  differences  pointed  out  by  Mearns 
consist  in  the  relatively  shorter,  stouter  mandible  and  dentition  of  magister. 
I  have  recently  examined  this  scanty  material  with  Mr.  Stone,  and  find  that, 
so  far  as  it  goes,  Mearns'  remarks  are  germane,  though  these  differences 
amount  to  only  i  millimeter  in  mandibular  length  and  breadth,  the  tooth  row 
of  magister  being  of  the  same  length  and  about  a  hair's  breadth  wider. 

The  general  characters  of  pennsylvanica  resemble,  in  a  degree,  those  of  the 
common,  or  Norway  rat,  Mus  norvegicus  {decumanus  of  authors),  but  dis- 
tinguished by  greater  size,  much  larger  ears  and  eyes,  thicker,  shorter  and 
much  more  hairy  bicolored  tail,  white  feet  and  under  parts,  dark  upper  parts 
and  the  heavy  whiskers.  The  skull  is  instantly  recognized  by  its  great  size, 
long  rostrum,  lack  of  supraorbital  ridges  and  the  flat,  prismatic-crowned 
molar  teeth.  The  cave  rat  is  distinguished  from  the  southern  wood-rat, 
Neotoma  floridana,  its  nearest  geographic  ally,  by  greater  size,  more  hairy 
and  bicolored  tail  and  grayer  (less  brown)  color  above  ;  also  by  the  blackish 
areas  around  eyes  and  at  bases  of  whiskers.  The  color  of  pennsylvanica  above 
is  a  uniform  tawny  or  buffy-gray  (in  some  a  sort  of  iron-gray),  lined  plenti- 
fully with  coarser  and  longer  black-tipped  hairs.  Along  sides,  the  buffy  pre- 
dominates, becoming  white  on  under  parts  and  feet,  but  reaching  nearly 
across  the  fore  part  of  breast.  Ears  meeting  when  laid  across  top  of  head. 
Whiskers  reaching  to  or  behind  shoulders.  Tail  with  upper  half  darker  than 
back,  lower  half  white,  the  hairs  long  and  somewhat  depressed  along  sides. 
Greatest  length  of  skull  twice  its  greatest  breadth. 

Measurements. — Total  length  (average  of  5  adults  from  Somerset  and 
Cambria  Cos.),  421  mm.  (i6T9^-  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  193  (7!)  ;  hind  foot,  43 
(IY|) ;  ear,  from  crown  of  head,  28  ( i£).  Skull :  greatest  length,  56  f2T3^) ; 
greatest  breadth,  28  (i£). 

Genus  Evotomys  Coues,  Proceedings  Academy  Natural  Sciences, 
Phila.,  1874,  p.  186. 

Gapper's  Wood  Vole,  or  Red-back  Mouse.  Evotomys  gappen 
(Vigors). 

1830.  Arvicola  gapperi  Vigors,  Zoological  Journal,  vol.  5,  p.  204. 

1891.  E\yotomys~\  gapperi  Merriam,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  5,  p.  119. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  93 

lype  locality. — Vicinity  of  Lake  Simcoe,  Ontario,  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution. — Typical  gapperi  is  restricted  to  the  forests  of  the 
Canadian  and  transition  zones  from  Quebec  to  central  Pa.,  and  from  the 
Atlantic  Ocean  to  Dakota. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Abundant  in  the  upper  transition  and 
Canadian  regions  of  Pa.,  but  becoming  local  and  sparingly  found  in  the  lower 
transition  areas.  Grading  toward  E.  g.  carolinensis  in  mountains  of  southern 
Pa.  In  N.  J.  it  is  nowhere  abundant,  living  only  in  isolated  spots  in  the 
Kittatinny,  Walkill,  Bearfort  and  Ramapo  mountains.  In  southern  N.  J.  a 
darker  race  is  found  in  the  cedar  swamps  and  wooded  bogs  which  there 
abound.  This  has  been  named  by  my  friend  Mr.  Stone,  Evotomys  g.  rhoadsi. 

Records  in  Pa. — See  list  of  specimens  examined,  below. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Passaic  Co. — I  am  convinced  that  the  reason  this  spe- 
cies was  not  taken  near  Greenwood  Lake  was  my  neglect  to  set  traps  in  the 
white  cedar  swamps,  some  of  which  were  seen  on  the  mountain  top  near  Lake 
Waywayanda.  They  were  found  in  less  likely  situations  in  the  Walkill  Val- 
ley.— Rhoads,  1896. 

Sussex  Co. — "  Thirteen  specimens  were  trapped  in  and  about  Bear  Swamp, 
near  Long  Lake,  and  six  more  in  a  hemlock  swamp  in  the  bottoms  of  the 
Walkill,  about  2  miles  south  of  the  N.  York  state  line." — Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad. 
Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  27. 

Warren  Co. — It  is  doubtful  if  this  vole  is  found  as  far  south  as  Warren  Co., 
even  in  the  mountains,  unless  it  be  that  an  exploration  of  the  Allatnuchy 
region  reveals  it.  I  failed  to  secure  it  near  Delaware  Gap. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Habits,  etc. — What  I  have  written  regarding  the  ways  and  haunts  of  Miller's 
deer  mouse  applies  largely  to  this  dusky,  short-tailed  dweller  of  the  forests. 
He  takes  the  place  of  the  common  meadow  mouse  in  .our  cool  forests  and 
swamps,  rerely  venturing  far  out  of  the  woodland  shades  to  meet  this  larger 
kinsman  on  the  skirts  of  swamps  and  meadows.  In  fact  the  meadow  mouse 
makes  nearly  all  the  advances  along  this  line,  no  doubt  to  the  disgust  of  the 
wood  mouse,  whose  cool  runways  he  invades.  Evotomys  seems  to  prefer 
well-shaded,  swampy,  damp  places,  where  he  can  often  wet  his  feet  in  under- 
ground paths  and  dive  through  the  hidden  pools  of  water.  He  lives  on  the 
leaves  and  tender  stems  of  many  weeds  and  grasses  and  also  enjoys  the  nuts 
and  seeds  of  several  species  of  trees,  especially  beechnuts,  chestnuts,  hazle- 
nuts  and  acorns,  for  which  it  frequently  makes  excursions  into  the  dry  upland 
forests  and  hill  tops.  It  also  seems  to  be  fond  of  certain  shelled  snails,  as 
Omphalina  and  smaller  Pofygyra,  these  being  found  in  the  retreats  where  the 
mice  are  trapped.  They  secure  the  snail  by  gnawing  a  hole  into  the  apex  of 
the  shell  and  drawing  the  body  out  backward.  In  winter  I  have  found  that 
they  live  almost  entirely  on  the  leaves  of  the  evergreen  strawberry  bush, 
Euonymus  americanus,  which  grows  abundantly  in  the  cedar  swamps  and 


94  MAMMALS   OK   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

damp  hemlock  forests.  As  we  approach  the  lower  transition  confines  of  its 
range,  this  vole  is  much  more  restricted  in  its  wanderings,  rarely  leaving  the 
sphagnum-covered  bogs  and  stream  banks  which  are  most  densely  shaded  by 
evergreens.  In  such  places  I  have  found  their  burrows  forming  such  a  per- 
fect network  through  the  moss  that  scarce  a  foot  of  sphagnum  could  be  found 
without  one  or  more  of  them,  rarely  coming  to  the  surface  but  mostly  running 
along  at  or  below  the  level  of  the  hidden  springs  which  feed  the  swamp. 

This  mouse  rarely  enters  dwellings  of  any  sort  and  is  one  of  the  most  inof- 
fensive of  its  genus,  economically  speaking.  It  forms  a  large  part  of  the  prey 
of  some  rapacious  animals,  especially  the  Bonaparte's  Weasel,  Putorius  cicog- 
nani,  seeming  to  be  more  unsuspicious  than  other  forest-dwelling  mice  and 
less  agile  in  escaping  attack.  It  often  runs  about  and  searches  food  in  open 
daylight,  climbing  up  the  stems  of  Euonymus  to  cut  off  a  supply  of  leaves  or 
peering  out  at  a  human  intruder  from  the  mouth  of  its  burrow,  or  making  a 
dash  across  the  open  hotly  pursued  by  a  voracious,  short-tailed  shrew  or 
quarrelsome  deer  mouse. 

Description  of  species,  etc. — See  under  next  species. 

Specimens  examined. — Pa. :  Sullivan  Co.,  26;  Clinton  Co.,  10  ;  Westmore- 
land Co.,  3  ;  Monroe  Co.,  6  ;  Somerset  Co.,  23  ;  Potter  Co.  and  McKean  Co., 
several ;  Susquehanna  Co.,  2.  N.  J. :  Sussex  Co.,  2  localities,  19. 

New  Jersey  Wood  Vole,  or  Red-back  Mouse.  Evotomys  gapperi 
rhoadsi  Stone. 

1893.  Evotomys  gapperi  rhoadsi  Stone,  American  Naturalist,  vol.  27,  p.  55. 

Type  locality. — May's  Landing,  Atlantic  County,  N.  J. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Transition  islands  of  the  upper  austral  zone  in  New 
Jersey.  Probably  also  to  be  found  in  similar  places  in  Maryland  and  Dela- 
ware. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Not  found  in  Pa.  So  far  as  I  have  explored 
the  typical  white  cedar  swamps  of  New  Jersey  and  done  persistent  trapping 
therein,  I  have  found  this  vole.  This  work  covers  parts  of  Atlantic,  Burling, 
ton,  Camden,  Cape  May  and  Cumberland  Cos.  The  most  northerly  point  of 
finding  it  was  in  the  edge  of  a  bog  near  Medford,  in  Burlington  Co.,  the  most 
westerly  and  southerly,  in  swamps  3  miles  west  of  Port  Norris,  Cumberland 
Co.  There  are  a  few  small  isolated  swamps  of  white  cedar  (  Chamcecyparis) 
near  the  Delaware  river,  in  Camden  and  Gloucester  Cos.,  where  I  have  briefly 
trapped  for  them  without  success  but  have  no  doubt,  from  the  character  of 
the  regions  and  of  the  runways  in  these  swarnps,  that  Evotomys  was  there  in 
small  numbers.  The  taking  of  them  near  Medford  is  the  first  instance  of  any 
being  found  in  the  Delaware  river  drainage,  north  of  Delaware  Bay.  From 
what  we  now  know  of  the  peculiar  haunts  and  distribution  of  this  race,  it  is 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  95 

reasonable  to  extend  their  habitat  northward  and  eastward  in  N.  J.,  in  con- 
formity to  the  distribution  of  Chamcecyparis  swamps,  through  eastern  Mon- 
mouth  and  Middlesex  to  Hudson  Co.  At  what  point  they  may  be  said  to 
intergrade  with  gapperi  we  have  not  the  material  to  show,  but  the  Pine  Bar- 
ren regions  south  of  Monmouth  Co.  are  probably  their  most  natural  limit. 

Habits,  etc. — What  has  already  been  written  regarding  Capper's  wood  vole 
will  apply  largely  to  the  habits  of  this  race.  The  cedar  swamp  vole,  however, 
living  as  it  does  in  a  faunal  region  where  the  hot  climate  and  vegetation  of 
the  uplands  immediately  adjoining  the  swamps  it  frequents  is  injurious  to  so 
boreal  an  animal,  keeps  very  close  to  the  damp,  cool  interior  and  boggy  mar- 
gins of  the  swamp  where  the  sphagnum  is  always  dense  and  moist  or  the 
cedar  hummocks  crowd  closely  together.  Such  an  environment,  permitting 
no  incursions  into  the  sunnier  uplands  and  requiring  close  contact  with  the 
subterranean  springs  which  make  life  bearable  in  summer  in  such  austral  sur- 
roundings, has  probably  been  the  cause  of  the  darker  coloration  of  this  vole, 
as  compared  with  Capper's  vole  of  the  north  woods.  From  remarks  made  in 
the  original  descriptions  of  it,  there  seems  to  be  an  idea  that  the  cedar  swamp 
race  is  partial  to  cranberry  bogs.  This  is  not  the  case,  they  rarely  venturing 
into  the  edges  of  the  open  bogs  farther  than  the  line  of  bushes  which  fringes 
the  borders  of  the  cedar  swamp.  In  the  open  bogs  they  are  replaced  by  the 
meadow  mouse,  Microtus  pennsylvanicus. 

Description  of  species :  Capper's  wood  vole  is  bright  chestnut  on  the  back, 
sprinkled  lightly  with  blackish  hairs ;  sides  grayish-buffy  ochraceous ;  belly 
gray,  washed  with  pale  buff,  the  lateral  line  separating  the  upper  and  lower 
colors  not  defined,  the  grayish-buff  reaching  far  up  the  sides,  restricting  the 
chestnut  dorsal  area  to  a  sort  of  broad  stripe;  feet  above,  grayish-white. 
Ears  showing  above  body  fur.  The  New  Jersey  wood  vole  is  dark  chestnut 
above,  thickly  mingled  with  blackish  hairs  over  back,  head  and  sides,  under- 
parts  as  in  gapperi,  hind  feet  dusky  gray,  upper  body  colors  reaching  down 
sides  and  definitely  separated  along  the  ground  line  from  whitish  of  under 
parts. 

G.  S.  Miller,  Jr.,  in  his  key  to  Land  Mammals  of  N.  Amer.,  1900,  p.  in, 
separates  these  two  forms  as  distinct  species  on  a  basis  of  the  cranial  charac- 
ters and  of  the  size  of  the  ears  and  sharp  definition  between  upper  and  lower 
body-colors.  I  have  taken  a  large  series  of  adult  Evotomys  from,  i,  southern 
N.  J.,  2,  northern  N.  J.,  3,  North  Mountain,  Pa.,  4,  Quebec,  and  6,  southern 
Pa.  and  W.  Va.,  and  compared  them  with  the  following  results :  i,  there  is 
practically  no  difference  in  average  measurements  in  the  four  series,  the  size 
and  character  of  ear  not  being  diagnostic ;  2,  the  color  differences  are  not 
sufficient  of  themselves  to  admit  of  more  than  racial  separation  ;  3,  the  cranial 
characters  ("  skull  and  teeth  much  heavier  than  in  E.  gapperi,  in  this  respect 
resembling  E.  carolinensis  ")  appear  to  show  constant  difference  in  respect 


g6  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

of  the  folding  of  the  enamel  in  the  second  and  third  anterior  triangles  of  the 
first  upper  molar.  In  nearly  all  the  southern  N.  J.  specimens  of  rhoadsi  these 
triangles  are  not  complete  but  are  confluent ;  the  molar  triangles  are  also 
more  flattened  and  wider,  in  relation  to  the  length  of  the  teeth,  than  in  gapperi 
from  northern  latitudes.  But  these  characters  have  exceptions,  a  skull  from 
the  Walkill  valley  being  exactly  of  this  rhoadsi  pattern  and  a  topotype  of 
rhoadsi  from  May's  Landing  having  the  angles  closed  as  in  gapperi.  As  re- 
gards size  of  skull,  in  the  southern  animal  it  does  not  grow  as  long  as,  but  is 
relatively  a  little  wider  than,  gapperi.  Specimens  from  Sussex  Co.,  N.  J.,  are 
intermediates  in  this  respect,  however.  From  the  anatomical  standpoint, 
therefore,  we  lack  the  necessary  evidence  to  consider  gappen  and  rhoadsi 
distinct  species.  Geographically  they  have  been  supposed  to  be  widely  sepa- 
rated, but,  as  I  have  previously  shown,  the  gap  which  originally  seemed  to 
exist  has  been  narrowed  by  absolute  research  so  much  that  our  botanical 
knowledge  of  the  rest  of  the  country  seems  likely  to  span  the  remainder. 

In  this  connection,  I  would  remark  that  the  suggestion  made  by  Mr.  Miller, 
regarding  the  relationships  of  N.  J.  wood  voles  to  the  species  carolinensis 
inhabiting  the  balsam  belts  of  the  higher  southern  Alleghenies  of  North  Caro- 
lina, is  most  pertinent.  My  series  of  22  specimens  from  Summit  Mills,  south- 
ern Somerset  Co.,  Pa.,  shows  remarkably  close  approach  to  all  the  distin- 
guishing characters  of  size  given  by  Bailey  (Proc.  Biol.  Society,  Washn.,  1897, 
p.  130)  to  separate  carolinensis  specifically  from  gappen.  In  regard  to  color, 
the  Somerset  Co.  specimens  are  more  like  gapperi.  The  largest  adults  of 
these  measure  as  follows,  in  millimeters  (Bailey's  similar  measurements  of 
carolinensis  following  each  in  brackets):  Total  length,  148  (149);  tail  verte- 
brae, 41  (44);  hind  foot,  20  (20.2);  ear,  n  ;  basal  length  of  skull,  22.8 
(23.5);  nasals,  7.8  (7.5);  zygomatic  breadth,  14.5  (14.4);  alveolar  length 
of  upper  molar  series,  5.5  (6).  Specimens  from  West  Virginia  and  from 
Cambria  Co.,  Pa.,  complete  the  links  in  an  unbroken  chain  which  connect 
gapperi  of  northern  Pa.  and  New  York  with  his  larger  and  darker  kinsman, 
e.  g.,  carolinensis,  of  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains,  in  much  the  same  manner 
as  has  already  been  pointed  out  in  my  remarks  on  Miller's  deer  mouse  and 
the  Cloudland  deer  mouse  of  the  same  regions.  Taking  Canadian  gapperi  as 
the  parent  stock,  we  thus  have  two  darker  and  larger  off- shoots  projected 
southward  into  the  austral  zone,  one  by  virtue  of  the  moist,  boreal,  lowland 
climate  of  cedar  swamps,  the  other  on  account  of  a  similar  environment  re- 
sulting from  an  elevation  of  6,000  feet  above  the  sea,  amid  the  moisture-laden 
winds  of  both  sea  and  land. 

Measurements  of  species. — These  body  measurements  apply  alike  to  gapperi 
and  g.  rhoadsi.  Total  length,  140  mm.  (5^  in.);  tail  vertebrae,  40  (iT9^-); 
hind  foot,  19  (|);  ear,  from  crown,  n  (TV)-  In  rhoadsi  the  skull  is  not 
materially  larger  than  gapperi  but  the  tooth  rows  are  about  ^  of  a  millimeter 


MAMMALS  PA.  AND  N.  J..  RHOADS. 


PLATE  5. 


ALL  FIGURES  NATURAL  SIZE. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  97 

longer  and  relatively  wider,  with  flattened,  less  rounded,  angulation  of  the 
enamel  folds.  The  hind  foot  of  gapperi  averages  i^  mm.  shorter  than  in 
rhoadsi. 

Specimens  examined. — Atlantic  Co.,  May's  Landing,  8  ;  Burlington  Co., 
Bear  Swamp,  near  Medford,  3 ;  Camden  Co.,  Ancora,  3 ;  Cape  May  Co., 
Tuckahoe,  7;  Cumberland  Co.,  near  Port  Norris,  7;  Mauricetown,  5. 

Genus  Microtus  Schrank,  Fauna  Boica,  1798,  vol.  i,  p.  72. 

Pennsylvania  Meadow  Vole,  or  Common  Meadow  Mouse.  Microtus 
pennsylvanicus  (Ord). 

1815.  Mus  pennsylvanicus  Ord,  Guthrie's  Geography,  2d  Amer.  Edition, 
vol.  2,  p.  292. 

1895.  M.  [icrotus~\  pennsylvanicus  Rhoads,  American  Naturalist,  vol.  29,  p. 
940. 

Type  locality. — Meadows  below  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  Probably  on 
"The  Neck." 

Faunal  distribution. — Abundant  in  neglected  fields  and  marshes  and  along 
borders  of  woodland  in  the  lower  Canadian,  transition  and  upper  austral 
zones ;  Atlantic  Ocean  and  Mississippi  Valley,  St.  Lawrence  Valley  and  Great 
Lakes  to  Virginia  and  the  Ohio  Valley. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Cosmopolitan  in  all  open  situations  beyond 
the  forest  confines,  in  both  states. 

Habits,  History,  etc. — This  species  is  apparently  so  abundant  and  its  habitat 
so  much  less  concealed  than  that  of  our  other  small  mammals  it  is  by  far  the 
best  known,  in  a  popular  sense,  of  any.  There  are,  however,  many  mistaken 
ideas  current  about  this  species,  even  among  so-called  students  of  nature  and 
scientific  observers.  Especially  is  this  the  case  in  regard  to  its  economic 
status.  In  order  to  bring  this  subject  to  public  notice,  I  published  the  re- 
sults of  my  field  observations  made  during  several  years'  study  of  this  mouse, 
both  as  a  farmer  and  as  a  collector  of  specimens  for  scientific  purposes.  The 
publications  referred  to  are  summed  up  in  an  article  in  the  "American  Natur- 
alist," of  August,  1898,  pp.  571  to  581.  From  this  I  will  make  the  following 
extracts  : 

"  Let  us  take  the  most  flagrant  case  of  a  so-called  noxious  mammal,  one 
which  forms  the  bulk  of  the  food  of  several  of  our  hawks  and  owls  which  are 
nowadays  rightly  classed  as  the  farmer's  friends.  The  common  vole,  or 
meadow  mouse  {Microtus  pennsylvanicus),  belonging  to  the  same  subfamily 
of  rodents  as  the  northern  lemming,  is  rated  by  nearly  all  who  know  him  as 
the  incarnation  of  agricultural  pests.  On  this  standard,  and  this  alone,  have 
Drs.  Warren,  Fisher,  and  Merriam  based  their  verdict  of  the  economic  value 


98  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA  AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

of  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  eastern  species  of  hawks  and  owls  which  appear 
on  their  rolls  of  honor.  The  rough-leg  hawk  is  accorded  first  place  on  this 
list  because  he  eats  almost  nothing  else  but  meadow  mice  of  this  species. 
But  it  is  a  stubborn  fact  that  the  case  of  the  meadow  mouse  has  never  been 
proved  against  him.  Not  a  tithe  of  the  study  devoted  to  his  devourers  has 
been  given  to  him,  and  no  scientific  analysis  of  his  stomach  contents  or  food 
habits  has  yet  been  put  on  record.  His  plea  of '  not  guilty '  stands  good  so 
far  as  the  records  of  economic  zoology  are  concerned.  This  may  sound  pre- 
posterous to  every  reader  of  trie  statement,  but  it  is  undeniable,  and  not  more 
difficult  to  believe,  after  we  have  inquired  into  the  facts  of  the  case,  than  the 
conclusions  of  the  modern  zoologist  regarding  some  of  our  hawks  and  owls. 
*  Of  course,  meadow  mice  live  almost  wholly  on  vegetable  food,  the  grasses 
and  grains  of  the  farm,  and  that  settles  it.'  So  retort  the  great  majority,  and 
until  a  very  recent  period  the  writer  had  thoughtlessly  been  one  of  that  num- 
ber.- As  a  farmer,  I  have  had  ten  years'  acquaintance  with  the  habits  of  the 
meadow  mouse  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  and  as  a  zoologist,  have 
made  about  six  years'  study  of  the  same  animal  in  ten  eastern  states.  In 
that  time  about  a  thousand  specimens  have  been  secured  and  examined,  and 
four  hundred  preserved  for  study.  Without  going  into  details,  the  following 
is  a  summary  of  my  conclusions  as  to  the  economic  status  of  this  species,  the 
common  meadow  mouse,  Microtus  pennsylvanicus  of  Ord  : 

"i.  From  90  to  100  per  cent,  of  the  food  of  this  mouse  throughout  the 
year  is  vegetable,  of  which  60  to  80  per  cent,  consists  of  endogenous  plants, 
chiefly  grasses;  15  to  30  per  cent,  consists  of  exogenous  plants,  chiefly 
weeds  ;  5  to  10  per  cent,  consists  of  tubers  and  roots  ;  and  i  to  5  per  cent, 
consists  of  grain  and  seeds. 

"  2.  From  i  to  5  per  cent,  of  its  diet  consists  of  animal  matter  such  as 
other  meadow  mice,  and  the  remains  of  dead  animals. 

"3.  Its  vegetable  food  the  year  round  is  largely  made  up  of 'grasses,' 
popularly  so  called,  and  during  the  summer  season  several  species  of  native 
and  introduced  weeds  form  a  considerable  share  of  its  diet. 

"4.  Its  destruction  of  grasses  at  all  seasons  is  confined  largely,  and  in  the 
majority  of  cases  almost  exclusively,  to  the  rushes  (Juncus).  sedges  ( Carex), 
salt  grass  {Spartina),  Indian  grass  (Andropogon) ,  and  other  coarse  forms 
which  have  little  or  no  agricultural  value  and  are  rejected  by  stock  either  as 
hay  or  pasturage. 

"5.  70  to  80  per  cent,  of  the  whole  number  of  meadow  mice  in  any  given 
area  restrict  their  habitat  to  low,  moist  soils,  bogs,  and  clearings,  which  are 
classed  by  the  farmer  as  waste  land  or  untillable  meadow,  and  in  these  situa- 
tions they  consume  almost  nothing  which  would  be  utilized  by  the  husband- 
man. 

"6.  20  to  30  per  cent,  are  found  on  upland  soils.     Of  these,  nearly  all 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  99 

confine  their  foraging  to  neglected  fence  rows,  abandoned  fields,  weed 
patches,  brush  piles,  rubbish,  and  litter,  caused  by  that  clog  to  American 
civilization,  the  shiftless  farmer.  In  these  situations  the  meadow  mouse 
destroys  nothing,  but  utilizes  a  great  deal  which  otherwise  would  cumber  the 
ground. 

"  7.  The  arable  land  of  every  well-kept  and  cultivated  farm  or  nursery, 
whether  in  pasture,  grass,  grain,  orchard,  truck,  or  young  trees,  is  practically 
deserted  by  this  mouse.  In  short,  it  can  only  exist  where  a  food  supply  is 
found  in  conjunction  with  proper  shelter,  a  shelter  in  almost  every  instance 
synonymous  with  neglect  and  waste  on  the  part  of  the  farmer  and  of  utility 
on  the  part  of  the  mouse. 

"  8.  The  meadow  mouse  rarely  eats  grain  except  when  the  rigors  of  excep- 
tional winters  deprive  it  of  green  food.  It  then  confines  its  appetite  to  what 
is  found  on  or  in  the  ground,  and  which  has  been  exposed  by  the  farmer's 
improvidence.  It  very  rarely  disturbs  seeds,  fruits,  tubers,  roots,  or  vegetables 
during  the  growing  season,  and  does  little  damage  in  winter  to  those  buried 
in  the  ground,  most  of  the  ravages  in  these  cases  being  the  work  of  the  short- 
tailed  meadow  mouse  (Microtus  pinetorum)  and  the  white-footed  mouse 
{Peromyscus  leucopus}. 

"  9.  On  upland  soils  the  meadow  mouse  is  a  surface  feeder,  forming  its  run- 
ways almost  entirely  above  ground  in  the  shelter  of  surrounding  vegetation 
and  debris.  The  burrowing  of  this  species  is  confined  chiefly  to  easily 
worked,  moist  lowlands,  where  it  conduces  largely  to  better  drainage  and  an 
increase  of  vegetable  growth. 

"  To  summarize  the  case  briefly,  it  may  be  truly  said  that  as  a  converter  of 
waste  vegetable  matter  into  flesh-food  for  bird  and  beast  the  common  meadow 
mouse  has  no  rival  in  the  regions  it  inhabits.  Besides  the  numerous  species 
of  hawks  and  owls  depending  almost  entirely  on  this  mouse,  other  carnivorous 
birds,  as  the  crow,  jay,  shrike  and  heron,  devour  a  great  many.  It  forms  a 
large  part  of  the  menu  of  several  of  our  mammals,  as  the  wild  cat,  house  cat, 
fox,  marten,  weasel,  mink,  raccoon,  skunk,  and  opossum.  The  larger  species 
of  snakes,  the  bullfrog,  and  some  of  the  turtles,  also  devour  them.  Strike  the 
meadow  mouse  from  the  food  list  of  the  tens  of  thousands  of  animals  which 
devour  him  in  the  eastern  United  States,  and  the  problems  of  the  economic 
zoologist  would  multiply  an  hundred  fold. 

"  The  worst  charges  proved  against  him  are :  (a)  the  undermining  and 
tunneling  of  artificial  water  barriers;  (b)  the  destruction  of  a  small  amount 
of  grain  and  vegetables  not  seasonably  harvested  or  housed;  (c)  the  con- 
sumption of  a  very  small  percentage  of  grasses  which  would  have  been  util- 
ized by  the  farmer;  (d)  the  gnawing  of  the  bark  of  fruit  trees  in  severe 
winter  weather.*  The  insignificance  of  these  items  compared  with  the  value 

*  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher,  in  a  recent  answer  to  my  inquiries  regarding  the  possible  economic 


IOO  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

of  the  mouse  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  a  destroyer  of  weeds,  utilizer  of  otherwise 
useless  grasses,  and  a  food  supply  for  two-thirds  of  our  carnivorous  birds, 
mammals,  and  reptiles,  is  apparent.  Exterminate  the  mouse,  and  the 
changed  food  relations  resulting  therefrom  would  cause  the  extermination  of 
many  most  beneficial  animals  and  the  conversion  of  others  into  pests  to  the 
greatest  detriment  of  agriculture.  Let  us  not  forget,  on  the  other  hand,  that 
any  marked  decrease  of  the  animals  which  prey  on  the  meadow  mouse  is 
equally  to  be  deprecated,  attended  as  it  might  be  with  similar  consequences 
to  the  '  vole  plagues  '  of  the  old  world.  To  maintain  the  balance  of  power 
between  these  neutralizing  agencies,  in  the  changed  conditions  imposed  by 
advancing  civilization,  is  the  real  province  of  economic  natural  science." 

In  the  above  extract,  only  casual  reference  is  made  to  the  destructive  pine 
vole,  or  short-tailed,  underground,  mole-like  cousin  of  the  meadow  mouse. 
This  species,  whose  vices  are  almost  universally  charged  to  the  meadow 
mouse  and  the  mole,  will  be  more  fully  treated  beyond. 

The  meadow  mouse  makes  its  nest  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  in  uplands 
where  grass  or  debris  lie  thickest,  forming  it  wholly  of  fine  grasses  in  a  globu- 
lar form,  with  two  exits  on  the  under  side.  In  swampy  ground,  they  place  it 
in  the  top  of  a  dense  tussock  out  of  reach  of  ordinary  flood  or  tide.  In  the 
salt  marshes  of  the  coast  they  are  so  excessively  abundant  that  by  stamping 
about  vigorously  on  the  grassy  margins  of  the  pools  they  may  be  driven  into 
the  water,  diving  and  swimming  with  great  agility  to  the  farther  side,  and  so 
escaping.  They  greatly  enjoy  feasting  upon  the  trapped  carcasses  of  their 
fellows,  or  of  other  mice,  in  the  winter  season  when  snow  covers  their  more 
natural  food.  I  have  found  that  they  do  this  in  summer  occasionally. 

The  history  of  the  naming  of  this  mouse  has  more  than  a  local  interest.  In 
the  earlier  edition  of  Alexander  Wilson's  Ornithology  it  is  figured  and  a  de- 
scription given  (vol.  6,  p.  59),  based  on  specimens  observed  near  Philadel- 
phia, either  on  "The  Neck"  meadows  or  on  those  near  Bartram's  Garden, 
along  the  Schuylkill,  a  place  then  frequented  by  Wilson.  George  Ord,  the 
subsequent  editor  of  Wilson's  completed  Ornithology  and  one  of  the  early 
presidents  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  made  Wilson's 
description  of  this  meadow  mouse  the  basis  of  his  name,  Mus  pennsyh)anica> 
which  was  published  in  1815  in  the  second  American  edition  of  Guthrie's 
Geography.  This  work  had  become  so  nearly  extinct  in  the  next  50  years 
tnat  authors  had  adopted  Ord's  subsequent  name  for  the  same  species,  Arvi- 
coia  riparius.  In  November,  1893,  I  discovered  a  copy  of  this  long-lost 
edition  of  Guthrie's  Geography  and  published  a  reprint  of  the  part  contrib- 

value  of  the  meadow  mouse,  denies  that  it  is  anything  but  a  pest,  and  states  that  its  destruc- 
tion of  trees  in  nurseries  is  alone  sufficient  to  condemn  it.  I  have  since  corresponded  with 
two  prominent  Pennsylvania  nurserymen,  Mr.  Thomas  Meehan  and  the  Win.  H.  Moon  Co.» 
both  of  whom  deny  that  they  have  suffered  by  this  mouse  to  any  extent. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  IOI 

uted  by  Ord.  So  far  as  is  known,  this  copy  of  Guthrie's  work  is  the  only  one 
extant.  An  author's  separate  is  in  the  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila. 

Description  of  species. — Wilson's  meadow  mouse  varies  slightly  in  size  and 
coloration  within  our  limits,  specimens  from  the  salt  marshes  of  southern 
N.  J.  being  larger  and  grayer  than  those  from  the  mountain  tops  of  northern 
Pa.  Those  in  the  latter  region  approach  somewhat  the  characters  of  the 
northern  meadow  vole,  M. p.  fontigenus  (Bangs),  which  is  restricted  to  the 
Hudsonian  zone.  There  seems  to  be  no  approach  in  our  Pa.  &  N.  J.  speci- 
mens to  the  southeastern  race,  M.  p.  nigrans  Rhoads,  found  in  the  region  of 
Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia.  In  the  mountains  of  central  Pa.,  Mr.  Ingersoll 
found  a  peculiar  phase  of  coloration  in  this  species,  many  specimens  being 
"  of  two  shades  of  umber-brown  over  the  whole  of  upper  parts,  two  from  Tus- 
carora  being  almost  a  deep  blackish-chestnut." 

The  general  color  of  this  species,  above,  is  a  tawny  gray-brown ;  beneath, 
light  gray  washed  with  buff;  tail  colors  corresponding  with  those  of  body, 
feet  dark  gray.  The  young  are  much  darker,  plumbeous-gray.  The  upper 
incisors  or  cutting  teeth  are  smooth-faced,  not  grooved.  The  tail  is  over  ^ 
the  length  of  head  and  body.  Ears  not  showing  above  body  fur. 

Measurements. — Total  length,  138  mm.  (5^  in.);  tail  vertebrae,  38  d^); 
hind  foot,  19  (^). 

Specimens  examined. — Pa.,  16  counties,  255  ;  N.  J.,  13  counties,  about  300. 

Northern  Pine-woods  Vole,  or  Mole  Mouse.  Microtus  pinetorum 
scalopsoides  (Audubon  and  Bachman.) 

1841.  Arvicola  scalopsoides  Audubon  and  Bachman,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat. 
Sciences,  Phila.,  vol.  i,  p.  97. 

1896.  Microtus  pinetorum  scalopsoides  Batchelder,  Proceedings  Boston 
Society  Nat.  History,  vol.  27,  p.  187. 

Type  locality.— Long  Island,  New  York. 

Faunal  distribution. — Abounding  in  sandy,  loamy  soils,  both  forested  and 
deforested,  in  the  upper  austral  zone ;  more  sparingly  found  in  the  transition 
zone,  up  to  the  summits  of  the  higher  Pa.  Alleghanies  near  the  lower  border 
of  the  Canadian  zone.  Connecticut  to  Illinois ;  intergrading  southeastwardly 
into  the  type  form  pinetorum  of  Leconte,  and  southwestwardly  into  M.  p. 
auricularis  Bailey. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Excessively  abundant  in  light,  dry  soils  of 
the  southern  lowlands  of  both  States,  nearly  every  square  yard  of  the  arable 
uplands  being  pierced  by  one  or  more  of  their  tunnels.  In  waste  lands  and 
forests  they  are  also  frequent,  especially  in  the  sandy  pine  barrens,  but 
swampy,  clayey  and  rocky  lands  they  dislike.  As  we  rise  from  these  localities 
into  the  mountains  they  become  rare,  but  not  wholly  absent  until  we  closely 
approach  a  Canadian  environment. 


102  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

Habits,  etc. — What  the  common  meadow  mouse  does  so  largely  above 
ground  this  strenuous  cousin  performs  beneath  the  surface.  Unfortunately 
for  mankind  and  fortunately  for  himself,  the  pine  vole  is  one  of  the  "  hidden 
works  of  darkness."  Out  of  sight  is  out  of  mind,  and,  in  most  cases,  out  of 
knowledge.  Thus  it  was  that  the  popular  and  still  persistent  error  arose  of 
attributing  the  mysterious  underground  robberies  which  yearly  spirit  away 
thousands  of  dollars'  worth  of  seeds,  grain,  radical  and  tuberous-rooted  vege- 
tables, plant  roots,  bark  of  fruit  and  shade  trees,  bulbs  and  buried  winter 
stores  belonging  to  the  farmers  of  southern  N.  J.  and  Pa.,  to  moles,  shrews, 
meadow  mice,  insects,  birds,  in  short,  anything  which  the  vexed  ingenuity  of 
man  could  devise  as  a  scape-goat.  On  the  tract  where  I  now  reside  at  Au- 
dubon,  Camden  Co.,  N.  J.,  there  might  be  found  in  a  narrow  belt  along  the 
banks  of  a  stream,  and  in  the  old  unmowed  fields  comprising  about  50  of  the 
whole  125  acres,  certain  spots  where  meadow  mice,  M.  pennsylvanictis,  were 
common.  These  would  not  aggregate  500  specimens,  and  if  the  ground  had 
been  mowed  the  number  would  be  diminished  more  than  half.  On  the  re- 
mainder practically  no  meadow  mice  exist.  But  the  entire  soil  of  this  tract 
of  ground,  regardless  of  its  condition,  whether  sod,  fallow,  orchard  or  wood, 
is  traversed  more  or  less  intricately  with  the  burrows  of  the  pine  woods  vole. 
In  my  garden  of  2  acres  they  so  abound  that,  after  irrigation,  their  net-work 
of  runways,  collapsed  by  the  water,  are  mostly  remodeled  before  it  has  had 
time  to  reach  the  subsoil,  and  a  spade- full  of  earth  thrown  out  at  random 
seldom  fails  to  reveal  one  of  their  burrows  or  that  of  a  mole,  which  both  use 
promiscuously.  In  this  garden  not  a  meadow  mouse  cares  to  set  foot  in 
summer,  yet  these  cousins  of  his  destroy  at  least  20  per  cent,  of  the  seeds 
planted  and  10  to  15  per  cent,  of  the  growing  and  perfected  potatoes,  beets, 
parsnips,  celery,  cabbages  and  ruta  baga  turnips.  They  destroyed  a  whole 
planting  of  lima  beans  after  growing  in  some  cases  to  the  height  of  eight 
inches,  many  replanted  hills  being  eaten  off  three  times.  In  the  orchard 
where  meadow  mice  could  not  exist,  these  burrowing  rascals  have  completely 
denuded  the  entire  basal  system  of  roots  where  they  diverge  underground 
from  the  parent  trunk,  in  this  way  killing  in  2  years  apple  trees  15  and  20 
years  old. 

It  would  make  easy  calculation,  on  the  basis  of  the  experience  of  any  truck 
gardener  in  south  Jersey  (for  my  own  experience  is  a  fair  sample,  as  I  have 
known  while  working  on  other  farms  and  from  the  complaints  of  my  neigh- 
bors) to  show  that  this  mouse  destroys  many  times  more  value  than  all  the 
noxious  birds  and  mammals  (the  English  sparrow  excepted)  put  together. 
To  make  the  identification  of  this  vole  more  certain,  I  will  quote  from  a 
paper  published  by  me  in  1897  in  a  local  weekly.  This  paper  answers  a 
southern  correspondent  who  had  confounded  the  depredations  done  by  this 
mouse  in  her  garden  with  those  of  the  short-tailed  shrew  or  mole  shrew, 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  103 

Blarina  brevicanda,  found  in  the  same  burrows :  "Undoubtedly  the  greater 
part,  if  not  all,  of  the  depredations  described  must  be  laid  at  the  door  of  an 
animal  very  dissimilar  to  the  shrew,  namely  the  Pine  Vole  (Microtus  pine- 
torum ) .  I  say  dissimilar,  and  yet  the  short  tail,  squat  form,  fossorial  fore 
feet  and  very  small  eyes  of  the  pine  vole,  together  with  its  similar  size,  might 
easily  deceive  a  casual  observer  and  make  one  confound  it  with  the  shrew. 
The  pine  vole,  however,  is  a  rodent  and  one  of  the  strictest  vegetarians  of  its 
order.  It  can  be  instantly  distinguished  from  any  of  the  Insectivora,  and 
from  the  shrew  in  particular,  by  its  rounded  head,  short,  blunt  snout  and  the 
space  in  the  jaws  separating  the  long  curved  fore  teeth  from  the  flat  prism- 
crowned  cheek-teeth  or  molars.  In  the  shrew  this  vacancy  is  filled  by  a 
ferocious  armature  of  fangs,  and  the  pig-like  snout  is  long  and  pointed ;  the 
eyes  also  are  nearly  invisible,  while  the  pine  vole  has  well  developed,  bead- 
like  eyes.  The  shrew  is  of  a  uniform,  dark,  glossy  lead  color,  slightly  brown- 
ish and  silvery  in  certain  lights,  while  the  vole  is  rusty  or  brown-red  above 
and  grayish  lead  color  below.  The  pine  vole  belongs  to  the  same  genus  as 
the  common  meadow  mouse  which  haunts  our  fields  and  swamps,  making  the 
intricate  network  of  surface  runs  which  shows  so  plainly  along  the  fence  rows 
when  snowdrifts  melt  away.  Unlike  the  meadow  vole,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  rarely  comes  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  but  is  almost  as  subter- 
ranean as  the  mole  in  its  habits.  Being  less  powerful  than  the  mole,  it  con- 
fines its  tunnels  to  looser  soils,  prefering  sandy,  fallow  ground  for  its  foraging 
and  is  especially  fond  of  cultivated  fields  along  the  edge  of  woodland.  Should 
such  a  field  be  planted  with  some  tuber-bearing  crop  the  vole  is  in  its  ele- 
ment, and  the  number  of  burrows  which  honeycomb  the  ground  is  almost 
incredible.  In  some  sweet  potato  fields  scarce  a  square  foot  of  the  whole 
field  adjoining  the  woods  was  left  unvisited.  The  amount  of  damage  which 
such  an  army  of  rodents  can  perform  may  be  imagined.  I  have  known  them 
to  follow  along  the  drills  of  newly  covered  seed  corn,  peas  and  wax  beans  so 
industriously  as  to  require  the  entire  replanting  of  parts  of  the  field.  Their 
diet  however  may  include  the  roots  and  bulbs  of  some  noxious  plants.  They 
eat  wild  garlic  roots,  often  smelling  offensively  of  it.  Whether  insects  are 
eaten  is  an  interesting  question.  It  does  not  hesitate  to  use  the  burrows  of 
the  mole ;  in  fact,  moles,  shrews,  deer  mice  and  pine  voles  make  free  use  of 
each  other's  highways  in  a  most  democratic  fashion.  Mayhap  first  goes 
along  Scalops,  the  four-footed  plowman,  industriously  heaving  the  sod  and 
devouring  earthworms  and  larger  insects  that  fall  into  his  furrow ;  then  the 
mole  shrew  {Blarina)  trips  through  the  passage  gathering  fragments  and 
nosing  about  for  larger  game.  A  pine  vole,  making  a  cross-cut,  falls  into 
the  breach  and  goes  off  on  an  easy  exploring  expedition  for  tap-roots,  and  in 
due  time  the  deer  mouse  (Peromyscus)  tiptoes  along  gathering  crumbs.  In 
these  excursions  the  various  tenants  of  the  manor  often  collide,  the  great 


104  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

mole  undoubtedly  being  lord  of  misrule,  the  bloodthirsty  shrew  his  licensed 
retainer,  while  the  mice  quarrel  over  the  crumbs.  They  in  turn  fall  a  prey  to 
the  arch  spoiler  Blarina,  and  are  by  nature's  processes  reconverted  into 
grass  or  worms  or  shrews  and  the  endless  cycle  is  again  complete.  Well  may 
we  exclaim,  'All  flesh  is  grass  !'  and  wonder,  while  man  goes  on  interfering 
with  the  nicely  adjusted  economies  of  nature,  what  difference  it  makes 
whether  shrews  eat  vegetables  or  devour  the  vegetarian.  In  either  event  the 
grass  must  suffer !" 

On  April  i9th,  1901,  my  man  plowed  over  the  nest  of  this  species  set  at  a. 
depth  of  eight  inches  under  the  soil  in  an  open  field,  and  captured  the  par- 
ents with  5  young  all  in  the  same  burrow.  Three  of  the  young  were  twice  as 
large  as  the  other  two,  the  smaller  being  about  an  inch  long.  The  nest  was 
globular,  of  dried  grass  and  weeds.  I  have  taken  nursing  and  gravid  females 
of  this  species,  as  with  other  of  the  native  mice  irrespective  of  season.  They 
probably  have  4  to  6  broods  yearly,  averaging  20  to  30  young  per  annum. 

Mr.  Miller  (Key  to  Land  Mam.  E.  N.  Amer.,  1900,  p.  104)  says  this  species 
"  generally  occurs  in  colonies."  This  remark  does  not  apply  to  any  I  have 
seen.  It  is  more  applicable  to  the  meadow  mice.  He  also  restricts  its 
northern  range  to  the  lower  part  of  the  transition  zone,  but  it  will  be  seen  in 
my  list  that  it  goes  farther,  venturing  into  a  mountainous,  rocky  country  quite 
the  anthithesis  of  that  in  which  it  mostly  abounds. 

Description  of  species. — To  the  characters  already  given  for  this  animal,  it 
should  be  added  that  the  fur  is  dense,  soft  and  more  mole-like  than  in  the 
meadow  vole.  The  ears  are  small  and  concealed  from  view.  The  tail  is  very 
short,  less  than  \  the  length  of  head  and  body.  The  northern  subspecies, 
scalcpsoides,  is  less  rusty  than  typical  pinetorum  of  Georgia,  having  a  grayer 
or  more  plumbeous  cast. 

Specimens  examined. — Pa.:  Chester  Co.,  Thorndale,  i;  Westtown,  i. 
Clinton  Co.,  above  R.  Island  (1800  ft.?),  4.  Delaware  Co.,  Marple,  i ;  Tin- 
icum,  2.  Greene  Co.,  Waynesboro,  2.  Monroe  Co.,  Pocono,  i,near  Cresco, 
i.  Pike  Co.,  Porter's  Lake,  i.  Philadelphia  Co.,  Germantown,  3.  Baird 
records  specimens  from  Carlisle,  Cumberland  Co.  N.  J. :  Camden  Co.,  Had- 
donfield,  8;  Audubon,  7;  Collingswood,  i.  Cape  May  Co.,  Tuckahoe,  17. 
Cumberland  Co.,  Bridgeton,  15;  Port  Norris,  2.  Gloucester  Co.,  Bridge- 
port, i.  Ocean  Co.,  Tuckerton,  2.  Warren  Co.,  Delaware  Gap,  2. 

Genus  Fiber  Cuvier,  Lecons  d'  Anatomic  Comparee,  1800,  vol.  i,  tabl.  i. 
Southeastern  Muskrat.     Fiber  zibethicus  (Linnaeus). 

1766.     [Caster]  zibethicus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  79. 
1817.     [Fiber]  zibeticus  Cuvier,  Regne  animal,  vol.  i,  p.  192. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  105 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Canada. 

Faunal distribution. — The  muskrat  has  been  recently  separated  into  several 
races  so  that  the  original  zibethicus  is  now  restricted  to  eastern  N.  America 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  (not  including)  Labrador  and  Newfoundland,, 
and  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  from  Georgia  and  Louisiana  to  the  Arctic  zone. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Omnipresent  in  all  situations  where  there 
is  enough  water  to  float  it. 

Habits,  etc. — This  animal  is  rightly  regarded  as  a  great  nuisance  by  those 
who  have  the  care  or  ownership  of  artificial  water  embankments,  because  of 
its  extensive  and  persistent  burrowing.  Owing  to  its  aquatic  habits,  wariness 
and  prolific  breeding,  it  defies  extermination  in  the  most  populous  regions. 
Were  it  not  for  the  value  of  its  fur  and  meat,  which  latter  is  largely  consumed 
by  those  who  trap  it  and  by  the  negroes  and  Italians,  it  would  speedily  be- 
come a  pest  in  some  districts.  Some  of  the  Canal  Companies  of  Pa.  and 
N.J.  give  a  bounty  on  the  scalps  of  muskrats  taken  on  their  property  besides 
employing  regular  trappers  to  hunt  them  the  year  around.  In  some  of  the 
large  reclaimed  tide  marshes  of  Salem  and  Cumberland  Cos.,  N.  J.,  the  trap- 
ping of  these  animals  for  fur  is  so  profitable  that  the  larger  owners  of  these 
dyked  lands  lease  the  privilege  of  trapping  upon  them  for  considerable  sums 
of  money  yearly.  An  examination  of  the  reports  of  fur  dealers  in  Pa.  and 
N.  J.  shows  that  muskrat  furs  number  five  times  as  many  as  all  other  kinds  of 
fur  put  together,  with  an  aggregate  value  about  double  that  of  all  the  others. 
The  food  of  the  muskrat  is  rarely  secured  at  the  expense  of  man,  being  con- 
fined largely  to  aquatic  vegetation  of  little  use  in  agriculture.  I  have  known 
one  in  severe  winter  weather  to  travel  overland  through  deep  snow  to  a  corn- 
crib  after  grain.  They  damage  some  grain  and  vegetables,  but  the  aggregate 
amount  is  trifling.  They  have  been  accused  of  eating  fish,  and  have  a  habit 
of  gathering  mussels  from  the  mud  and  piling  them  upon  logs  and  rocks  to 
die.  The  shell  thus  opens  and  the  contents  are  devoured  by  some  animal, 
presumably  the  rats,  though  I  have  never  seen  them  do  it.  No  doubt,  minks, 
coons,  foxes,  etc.,  participate  in  this  feast.  The  muskrat,  like  the  beaver,  has 
two  distinct  classes  of  homes,  the  earth  burrow  and  the  house  or  lodge,  in 
either  of  which  they  live,  but  only  rear  their  young  in  the  former.  Along 
swiftly- flowing  streams  or  lakes  without  extensive  marshy  tracts  the  first  kind 
of  home  is  alone  practicable,  but  in  tidewater  and  open  swampy  areas  which 
are  always  submerged  and  inaccessible  except  by  wading  or  boat,  the  rats  pile 
up  heaps  of  grass,  reeds,  mud  and  sticks  to  the  height  of  2  or  3  feet  and  6  in 
diameter,  making  an  oven-shaped  chamber  near  the  top  and  entering  it  from 
below  by  two  or  more  waterways  leading  to  the  distant  bed  of  the  stream. 
This  home  generally  overtops  highest  tides  and  flood,  and  is  often  so  bulky 
as  to  fill  a  cart.  The  muskrat  gives  birth  to  young  at  all  seasons.  Godman 
states  that  their  lodges  are  only  used  in  winter  and  new  ones  are  built  each 


106  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

season.  This  is  not  always  the  case.  On  the  brackish  tide  marshes  of  Cohan - 
sey  Creek,  Cumberland  Co.,  N.  J.,  I  found  these  rat  houses  tenanted  by  other 
inhabitants  of  the  marsh.  The  meadow  mice,  least  shrews,  and  marsh  rat 
( Oryzomys)  had  their  galleries  in  the  base  and  nests  in  the  top  of  the  house, 
all  three  living  in  one  house  with  the  muskrat.  The  eggs  of  the  snapper  and 
terrapin  are  also  found  in  these  houses,  and  a  large  crab's  remains  were  often 
found.  The  latter  may  have  been  brought  there,  however,  to  be  eaten  by  the 
muskrats.  In  far  northern  climates,  these  houses  are  built  over  water  of  suf- 
ficient depth  to  insure  against  a  freezing  out.  Hearne  states  that  the  rats  are 
sometimes  frozen  in  and  all  perish  because  of  the  great  size  and  hardness  of 
the  outer  dome,  which  also  resists  the  external  attacks  of  wild  animals. 

Description  of  species. — Our  Pa.  and  N.  J.  muskrat  differs  from  other  nom- 
inal forms  so  slightly  as  to  often  be  indistinguishable  from  them.  It  needs 
no  description  here,  being  so  different  from  any  other  mammal. 

Genus  Synaptomys  Baird,  Mammals  of  North  America,  1857,  p.  558. 
Cooper's  Lemming.     Synaptomys  cooperi  Baird. 

1857.  Synaptomys  cooperi  Baird,  Mammals  of  N.  Amer.,  p.  558. 

Type  locality. — Not  known.  Type  presented  by  Cooper  of  Hoboken, 
N.  J. ;  probably  captured  in  N.  J.  or  N.  Y.  near  New  York  City. 

Faunal  distribution. — Lower  Canadian  and  transition  zones,  N.  England 
to  Mississippi  valley. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — East  of  the  Alleghanies  in  Pa.  I  have 
not  found  this  rare  animal  except  in  the  upper  transition  zone  and  lower 
edge  of  the  Canadian.  One  was  taken  in  the  Ohio  valley  (upper  austral 
zone)  in  Beaver  Co.,  in  similar  situation  to  those  taken  by  Quick  and  Butler 
in  Indiana.  In  N.  J.  it  is,  strictly  speaking,  confined  to  the  transition  zone, 
becoming  modified  in  the  cedar  swamps  of  southern  N.  J.  into  the  race  stonei. 

Habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  next  article. 

Specimens  examined. — Pa. :  Beaver  Co.,  Beaver,  i.  Cambria  Co.,  Kings, 
5;  Cresson,  3.  Clinton  Co.,  Mt.  above  Round  Isl.,  7.  Monroe  Co.,  near 
Cresco,  i.  Sullivan  Co.,  Lake  Leigh,  i. 

Stone's  Lemming.     Synaptomys  cooperi  stonei  (Rhoads). 

1893.     Synaptomys  stonei  Rhoads,  American  Naturalist,  vol.  27,  p.  53. 

1897.  Synaptomys  cooperi  sionei  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p. 
392  ;  also  ibid.,  1897,  p.  305. 

Type  locality. — May's  Landing,  Atlantic  County,  N.  Jersey. 

Faunal  distribution. — Sphagnum  bogs,  upper  austral  zone,  eastern  border, 
southern  N.  J.  to  Lake  Drummond,  Va. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  IOy 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  y. — Not  found  in  Pa.     In  N.  J.  confined 
closely  to  sphagnum  bogs  in  the  cedar  swamp  belt. 

History,  habits,  etc. — The  air  of  mystery  surrounding  the  discovery  of 
Cooper's  mouse  and  the  long  period  elapsing  after  Baird's  announcement  of 
it  before  any  specimens  were  secured  east  of  the  Alleghany  mountains  have 
made  its  history  peculiar.  Another  notable  thing  about  it  is  the  fact  that  it 
reproduces  or  rather  extends  into  the  austral  zone  a  type  of  mouse  life  which 
had  heretofore  been  considered  peculiar  to  an  Arctic  climate.  Even  in  the 
present  day  with  improved  methods  and  knowledge  of  mouse  trapping  it  is 
rarely  caught,  and  certainly  seems  to  be  very  rare  compared  with  its  abund- 
ant associates,  and  allies,  the  meadow  and  woodland  voles  of  the  genera 
Microtus  and  Evotomys.  Stone's  lemming  was  first  trapped  in  the  deep 
sphagnum  surrounding  a  small  open  pool  or  spring  of  water  near  the  edge  of 
the  big  dam  at  May's  Landing.  A  cedar  swamp  was  near  by  on  one  side  and 
the  pine  barren  woods  nearly  cast  a  shade  over  it  next  to  the  pond.  Not  five 
feet  from  the  same  spot  Mr.  Stone  caught  his  new  wood  vole,  Evotomys, 
while  we  were  here  on  a  previous  visit.  Specimens  of  both  novelties  were 
taken  later  in  the  same  place,  and,  as  will  be  noted,  several  others  have  been 
secured  in  other  parts  of  N.  J.  Of  the  habits  of  this  lemming  we  are  quite 
ignorant  from  observation  of  the  living  animal.  The  places  where  I  have 
found  true  cooperi  in  the  east  have  never  been  in  woodland,  but  generally 
swampy  mountain  clearings  near  woods  among  dense  grass  and  weeds,  and 
appearing  to  use  the  same  paths  as  the  common  meadow  mouse.  By  setting 
traps  in  these  you  generally  have  to  thin  out  the  meadow  mice  before  a 
Synaptomys  will  have  a  chance  to  be  caught,  ratio  of  the  two  being  as  i  to  30 
in  favor  of  Microtus.  Undoubtedly  swamp  grasses  and  succulent  weeds  such 
as  we  know  to  form  the  main  food  of  Microtus  are  the  lemming's  chief  diet 
also.  The  same  remarks  apply  to  Stone's  lemming,  only  it  keeps  more 
closely  to  the  sphagnum  beds  where  there  is  no  need  for  it  to  expose  itself  to 
the  sun  and  heat  of  a  warmer  clime.  In  these  places  it  acts  as  a  sort  of  go- 
between  for  Microtus  and  Evotomys,  yet  it  is  more  essentially  Microtine  in 
its  associations  here  also,  and  frequent  are  the  trapper's  disappointments  to 
find  so  many  lemming-like  captures  turn  out  to  be  voles  when  their  long  tails 
come  to  view.  I  have  never  found  the  nest  of  Synaptomys,  but  Quick  and 
Butler  (Amer.  Nat.,  1885,  p.  114)  describe  it  as  "always  under  cover,  gen- 
erally in  a  hollow  log  or  stump  and  composed  of  fine  grass.  It  is  not  so 
securely  built  as  the  nests  of  some  of  the  other  species  of  this  family."  An- 
other peculiar  circumstance  in  regard  to  Cooper's  lemming  is  the  difference 
of  its  chosen  habitat  in  the  Ohio  Valley  from  what  we  find  east  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies.  I  took  a  specimen  in  spring,  1898,  on  a  high,  dry,  rocky  hillside 
pasture  among  grass  and  stump  land  about  a  mile  from  the  town  of  Beaver, 
Pa.  A  large  colony  of  M.  pennsylvanicus  lived  on  this  hillside,  but  this  was 


IO8  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

the  only  lemming  captured  among  a  large  number  of  voles.  Quick  and  Butler 
(supra  citat. )  found  them  solely  in  such  places  in  Indiana,  saying :  "  This 
mouse  is  found  on  hillsides  in  high,  dry,  blue  grass  pastures  where  flat  stones 
are  irregularly  scattered  over  the  surface ;  it  especially  prefers  what  are 
known  as  '  woods  pastures  '  containing  little  or  no  undergrowth."  He  con- 
tinues :  "  Cooper's  mouse  has  been  found  breeding  from  February  to  Decem- 
ber. It  has  never  been  known  by  the  authors  to  bring  forth  more  than  four 
young  at  a  time.  In  all  suckling  females  brought  to  our  attention  the  mammae 
have  apparently  been  but  four."  A  female  taken  by  me  Oct.  7,  1898,  in 
Clinton  Co.,  Pa.,  contained  five  embryos. 

Quick  and  Butler  say  that  the  food  of  Cooper's  mouse  is  chiefly  stems  of 
blue  grass  and  white  clover,  and  the  tuberous  roots  of  "wild  artichoke" 
(Helianthus). 

Description  of  species. — The  cooperi  form  of  lemming  looks  like  a  stump- 
tailed,  thick-set  and  undersized  meadow  mouse,  Microtus  pennsylvanicus,  the 
•color  being  very  similar  but  the  fur  is  softer  and  fuller.  The  color  above  is 
grizzled  gray  and  yellowish-brown,  thickly  sprinkled  with  black,  the  belly  a 
frosted  or  silvery  lead  color.  From  an  examination  of  specimens  from  In- 
diana and  Ohio  I  am  inclined  to  class  these  as  intergrades  between  cooperi 
and  gossi.  The  peculiar  habits  of  Ohio  Valley  specimens  strengthen  this 
view.  The  Beaver  Co.  specimen  is  nearer  cooperi  of  course.  In  subspecies 
stonei  the  size  and  body  measurements  are  greater  than  in  cooperi;  the  rela- 
tive size  of  skull  and  teeth  is  much  larger  and  the  colors  darker,  especially 
on  the  under  side,  with  a  strong  wash  of  clay  color  over  the  abdomen  and 
breast  not  seen  in  cooperi.  In  these  differences  there  is  a  significant  parallel 
to  those  distinguishing  Evotomys  gapperi  and  E.  g.  rhoadsi  of  the  same 
regions.  Naturalists  have  recognized  them  in  Evotomys  but  are  slow  to 
accord  the  same  to  the  Synaptomys  under  consideration.  Dr.  Merriam,  who 
later  described  a  Synaptomys  from  Dismal  Swamp,  which  differs  from  cooperi 
in  the  same  particulars  as  those  given  for  stonei,  ignores  stonei,  making  it  a 
.synonym  of  cooperi.  He  makes  his  helaletes  a  full  species,  and  a  form  he 
named  gossi  from  Kansas  as  a  subspecies  of  his  Dismal  Swamp  animal !  See 
Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.,  Washn.,  1896,  p.  58,  etc.  For  a  resume  of  the 
relations  of  these  forms,  see  my  article  in  the  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila., 

1897,  PP-  305,  3<>7- 

Measurements. — {cooperi)  total  length,  118  mm.  (4^4  in.);  tail  vertebrae, 
X6  (^);  hind  foot,  19^  (34);  skull,  greatest  length,  26.5  (iTV);  greatest 
width,  1 6  (Y%).  (stonei),  in  same  order,  125  (4J-f);  20  (ff);  20  (|f); 
skull,  27.8  (iTV);  17-7  (U)- 

Specimens  examined. — Atlantic  Co.,  May's  Landing,  3  ;  Cape  May  Co., 
Tuckahoe,  i ;  Cumberland  Co.,  Port  Norris,  3. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  109 

Family  DIPODID.*  ;  Jerboas. 

Genus  Zapus  Coues,  Bulletin  U.  S.  Geolog.  Surv.  of  Territories,  2d  series, 
vol.  i,  p.  253. 

Hudson  Bay  Zapus,  or  Meadow  Jumping  Mouse.  Zapus  hudsonius 
^Zimmermann) . 

1780.  Dipus  hudsonius  Zimmermann,  Geogr.  Geschichte  d.  Menschen, 
'Thiere,  vol.  2,  p.  358. 

1875.  Zapus  hudsonius  Coues,  Bulletin  U.  S.  Geolog.  Survey,  Territories, 
2d  series,  vol.  i,  p.  253. 

Type  locality. — Hudson  Bay. 

Faunal  distribution. — Hudsonian,  Canadian  and  Transition  zones ;  Hudson 
Bay  and  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  northern  N.  Jersey,  west  to  northern  Rocky 
Mts.  and  Great  Plains,  south  in  the  Alleghanies  to  North  Carolina. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Abundant,  locally,  in  open  meadows, 
swamps  and  in  fields  contiguous  to  water ;  rarely  entering  woodland.  Re- 
stricted in  its  typical  form  to  the  parts  of  Pa.  and  N.  J.  included  in  the  tran- 
sition and  Canadian  faunae ;  giving  place  in  the  upper  austral  zone  to  sub- 
species americanus. 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — In  the  limits  of  distribution  of  typical  hudson- 
ius it  is  so  universally,  and  in  many  cases,  abundantly  represented  where 
swampy  meadows  abound,  that  it  is  superfluous  to  record  localities  where  it 
has  come  under  observation. 

Habits,  etc. — Many  people  who  know  this  elegant  creature  from  chance 
observation  in  their  outdoor  rambles,  and  easily  distinguish  it  from  all  other 
of  our  so-called  "  wild  mice  "  by  its  enormous  leaps,  long  tail  and  kangaroo- 
like  hind  legs  and  feet,  have  no  acquaintance  with  its  habits.  It  does  not  do 
much  leaping  in  ordinary  life,  but  rather  as  a  quick  way  of  escaping  the 
thousand  terrestrial  ills  to  which  its  humble,  every-day  life  is  subject.  It  is 
of  a  most  timid  nature  and  ill-fitted  to  combat  tooth  and  nail  with  the 
doughty  meadow  mice  and  shrews  which  infest  its  feeding  grounds.  Through 
the  cover  of  grass  and  weeds  which  overarch  the  hidden  mouseways  the  leap- 
ing Zapus  finds  a  safe  aerial  passage  from  troubles  earthy,  sentimental  and 
otherwise.  In  all  his  jumping  that  lever-like  tail  is  only  a  rudder  and  balan- 
cing rod  ever  held  at  a  gentle  upward  curve,  tip-uppermost,  frcm  the  ground, 
and  when  flying  through  the  air  acting  as  a  trailer  and  balancer  to  bring  him 
gracefully  to  his  feet  again  in  good  shape  for  another  leap.  I  can  see  no  dif- 
ference between  this  leaping  of  the  long-tailed  mouse  and  that  of  the  tailless 
spring-frog  which  haunts  the  same  marshes,  except  that  the  frog  does  not  rise 
so  high  in  the  air.  Their  reasons  for  jumping  are  mostly  identical.  When 


IIO  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

they  find  their  danger  is  from  above  the  grass  they  soon  learn  to  skulk  rather 
than  leap.  I  have  been  unable  to  trap  this  rodent  after  the  first  few  killing 
frosts,  these  being  the  signal  for  retiring  into  some  snugly  prepared  corner 
where  they  may  curl  into  a  spherical  shape  within  a  spherical  nest  of  leaves 
and  grasses  and  sleep  until  frost  departs  again.  This  hiding  place  generally 
seems  to  be  placed  far  enough  beneath  ground  to  escape  freezing  in  this  lati- 
tude. I  know  of  no  food  provision  being  made  for  winter  as  with  the  chip- 
munk. In  fact  they  would  be  helpless  to  use  it,  as  a  freezing  temperature 
soon  begins  to  stupefy  them.  Abbott  states  they  appear  to  store  up  chinka- 
pins for  future  use  in  November.  They  can  be  thawed  out  and  frozen  again 
artificially  several  times  before  they  succumb  to  this  inhuman  treatment. 
When  going  into  winter  quarters  they  are  excessively  fat,  as  I  can  testify  from 
experience  in  removing  this  tenacious  yellow  blanket  from  the  skins  of  them. 
This  fat  is  their  fuel.  By  spring  it  is  nearly  gone.  Their  natural  food  I  have 
not  been  able  to  certainly  identify.  It  is  stated  by  some  to  be  buds,  seeds, 
nuts  and  grasses.  They  eat  corn  and  oatmeal  bait  from  my  trap.  It  is 
likely  they  may  devour  a  good  many  insects,  for  capturing  which  their  agility 
would  eminently  fit  them.  Inquiry  along  these  lines  might  show  this  animal 
to  be  one  of  the  most  useful  (as  it  certainly  is  one  of  the  least  destructive) 
of  our  small  rodents.  Abbott  says  they  eat  but  little  grain  and  are  too  scarce 
to  do  any  harm  even  if  they  had  that  failing. 

Description  of  species. — Species  of  this  genus  may  be  known  from  all  other 
American  mice  by  their  having  a  body  the  size  of  a  house  mouse  with  long, 
slender,  almost  naked  tail,  which  is  i^  times  as  long  as  head  and  body.  The 
hind  foot,  in  its  great  relative  size  to  length  of  body,  is  also  distinctive. 
The  head  is  very  small  and  the  slender  front  teeth  have  a  distinct  groove 
running  down  the  face  of  each,  in  this  respect  resembling  the  little  harvest 
mouse  (Reithrodontomys),  a  species  we  do  not  find  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.  Zapus 
hudsonius  is  to  be  distinguished  from  Z.  h.  americanus,  the  next  form  to  be 
considered,  by  its  larger  size  and  the  better  defined,  dark  dorsal  stripe  in 
contrast  with  the  color  of  sides.  In  hudsonius  the  upper  colors  are  yellowish- 
brown,  with  sides  light  grayish-buff,  lightly  sprinkled  with  black.  In  ameri- 
canus the  back  is  dusky-brown,  tinged  with  reddish -buff,  sides  reddish-buff. 
Both  are  snowy  white  beneath.  Both  forms  of  these  meadow  or  open-ground 
Zapus  may  be  known  externally  from  the  woodland,  Naptzozapus,  by  grayer 
color,  smaller  size  and  the  lack  of  a  white  tip  or  terminal  part  of  the  tail. 

Measurements. — {hudsonius}  total  length,  220  mm.  (8J/2  in.);  tail  verte- 
brae, 130  (5>£);  hind  foot,  31  (i^.)  {americanus}  190  (7^)  ;  115  (4^)  ; 
18  (i^). 

Barton's  Zapus,  or  Meadow  Jumping  Mouse.  Zapus  hudsonius 
americanus  (Barton). 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  Ill 

1799.  Meriones  americanus  Barton,  Transactions  American  Philosophical 
Society,  Phila.,  vol.  4,  p.  115. 

1899.  Zapus  hudsonius  americanus  Batchelder,  Bulletin  New  England 
Zoolog.  Club,  vol.  i,  p.  6. 

Type  locality. — Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  austral  zone ;  Connecticut  to  eastern  North 
Carolina ;  coast  plains.  Also  in  southwestern  Pa. ;  probably  west  along  Ohio 
Valley  lowlands.  Western  range  not  mentioned  by  Preble  in  N.  Amer.  Fauna, 
No.  15. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — This  lowland  race  is  found  in  southeastern 
and  southwestern  Pa.,  the  two  sections  occupied  by  it  being  separated  faunally 
by  the  Alleghany  mountains,  in  which  only  the  northern  type  is  found.  Preble, 
the  monographer  of  this  group,  records  no  specimens  from  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies.  I  have  examined  specimens  from  the  upper  austral  lowlands  of  the 
southwestern  corner  of  Pa.  and  would  class  them  with  americanus.  In  N.  J. 
this  animal  is  sparsely  found  in  the  southern  half  of  the  state.  A  specimen 
having  been  secured  from  Beach  Haven,  a  coastal  sand-island  beach,  indi- 
cates that  they  may  be  found  anywhere  in  this  great  territory.  That  they  are 
exceedingly  rare  in  such  situations  or  in  other  parts  of  the  pine-barren  region, 
my  own  researches  go  to  confirm  the  popular  verdict. 

Habits,  etc. — I  extract  from  Mr.  Preble's  monograph  of  the  genus  Zapus 
the  following  facts,  which  add  to  the  information  already  given  under  Zapus 
hudsonius.  The  average  length  of  the  longest  leaps  is  about  8  feet.  They 
breed  from  May  until  September,  both  above  and  beneath  the  ground.  They 
build  summer-house  nests  on  the  ground  in  the  thick  grass,  globular  with 
a  side  entrance  and  composed  of  leaves  of  grass.  A  pair  use  this  home. 
Hibernation  is  not  always  complete  or  uninterrupted,  Dr.  Merriam  having 
seen  them  abroad  in  northern  New  York  during  the  unusually  mild  winter  of 
i88i-'82.  Mr.  G.  S.  Miller,  Jr.,  narrates  how  a  young  jumping  mouse,  whose 
long  tail  had  been  cut  off  by  the  knife  of  a  mowing  machine,  thereby  wholly 
lost  control  of  its  leaping  powers.  While  stimulated  by  his  approach  to  make 
astonishingly  long  and  high  leaps,  it  would  turn  somersaults  in  the  air,  often 
landing  in  a  reversed  position  from  the  starting  one  and  thus  returning  at  the 
next  leap  toward  the  object  of  its  fears.  That  this  misfortune  would  not 
always  prove  fatal,  I  have  proof  from  an  old  individual,  whose  stump  tail  was 
about  two  inches  long,  entering  my  traps.  It  was  otherwise  in  good  condi- 
tion, though  the  end  of  the  tail  showed  it  had  been  a  long  while  in  this  plight. 
Specimens  examined  (only  extralimital  records  noted). — Pa.,  Allegheny  Co., 
Wilkinsburg,  i  :  Beaver  Co.,  Beaver,  i  ;  Greene  Co.,  Waynesburg  (recorded 
by  Jacobs) ;  Washington  Co.,  Washington,  2  ;  Westmoreland  Co.,  Laughlin- 
town  (intermediate),  i.  Numerous  specimens  from  southeastern  Pa.  N.  J., 
Burlington  Co.,  east  of  Medford,  2  ;  Mt.  Holly,  i  ;  Camden  Co.,  extremely 


112  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

rare,  even  near  Camden  ;  Gloucester  Co.,  near  Woodbury  (seen  by  Johnson)  ; 
Ocean  Co.,  Beach  Haven,  i. 

Miller's  Woodland  Jumping  Mouse.    Zapus  insignis  Miller. 

1891.  Zapus  insignis  Miller,  American  Naturalist,  vol.  25,  p.  742. 

Type  locality. — Restigouche  River,  New  Brunswick,  Canada. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Miller  states  that  this  mouse  "  is  an  inhabitant  of  the 
Canadian  zone,  reaching  the  transition  zone  in  '  boreal  islands '  only."  I 
have  found  it  in  both  Pa.  and  N.  J.  in  parts  of  the  upper  transition  zone  where 
no  "  boreal  islands  "  exist.  It  is  found  as  far  west  as  Lake  Superior,  south  to 
western  Maryland,  north  to  Labrador. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J.^-So  far  this  handsome  dweller  of  the  dark 
forests  has  been  recorded  from  a  few  isolated  spots  in  the  Alleghanian  regions 
of  Pa.  and  with  certainty  in  one  locality  in  N.  J.  In  some  favored  localities 
it  is  numerous,  in  others,  apparently  similar,  they  are  not  found.  Owing  to 
its  choice  of  the  most  densely-wooded  evergreen  tracts,  its  range  is,  and  long 
has  been,  rapidly  contracting. 

Records  in  Pa. — Cambria  Co.,  one  collected  near  Cresson. — Rhoads. 
Clinton  Co.,  stated  to  have  been  seen  among  the  trout  streams  by  Nelson 
and  Peirce.  Elk  Co.,  a  specimen  from  Howard  Sta.  in  collection  of  Pierce 
of  Renovo. — Rhoads.  Monroe  Co.,  taken  by  W.  A.  Shryock  near  Pocono  in 
1893,  the  first  record  for  Pa.  One  killed  by  Yaggie  crossing  Bushkill  Creek 
in  1894. — Rhoads.  Potter  Co.,  one  was  found  dead  near  Cherry  Spring, 
June  23,  1898. — Todd.  Somerset  Co.,  a  specimen  in  my  collection  taken 
near  New  Lexington  by  Dr.  H.  D.  Moore. — Rhoads.  Sullivan  Co.,  two  taken 
by  Rhoads  at  Eaglesmere  in  August,  1896.  Dr.  Merriam  states  in  a  letter  to 
me  that  this  species  has  been  taken  at  Finzel,  Md.,  %  mile  from  Somerset 
Co.  line. — Rhoads. 

Records  in  N.J. — Morris  Co. — "  I  secured  four  beautiful  specimens  of  this 
Zapus  in  woodland  along  a  small  rocky  stream  connecting  a  rhododendron 
swamp  with  Lake  Hopatcong  near  Nolan's  Point." — Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad. 
Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  29. 

Passaic  Co. — "At  Greenwood  Lake  a  dormant  jumping-mouse,  from  the 
description  given  me  by  the  finder,  being  evidently  of  this  species,  was  dug 
out  of  a  gravel  bank  during  my  stay  (Oct.  24th  to  3oth,  1896).  I  visited  the 
spot,  and  from  its  situation  in  deep  woodland  near  a  brook,  I  am  morally 
sure  it  was  Z.  insignis.  The  narrator  of  the  incident  stated  that  he  knew  the 
meadow  species  very  well,  but  that  this  one  was  -'much  redder."' — Rhoads, 
ibid. 

Habits,  etc. — I  have  never  seen  one  of  these  animals  alive,  being  acquainted 
with  them  only  by  post-mortem  examinations,  and  by  their  foot-prints  along 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  113 

the  sands  margins  of  streams  where  they  had  been  caught.  From  their  strik- 
ing appearance  when  found  dead  in  a  trap,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  place  them 
in  the  highest  rank  among  all  our  east  American  mammals  for  exquisite  color- 
ation, grace  of  form  and  elegance  of  manners.  No  doubt  their  habits  in  some 
respects  may  be  predicted  from  what  we  know  of  the  commoner  meadow 
jumping-mice,  whose  hunting  grounds  in  the  far  north  to  some  extent  overlap 
those  of  their  more  refined  and  aristocratic  cousins.  Nevertheless  the  swamp- 
mud  and  tangled- grass  dweller  has  little  in  common  with  one  who  seems  to 
choose  the  night  season  only  for  his  rambles  along  the  clean  shingle  and  sand 
of  the  little  trout  brooks,  creeping  and  leaping  about  from  boulder  to  boulder 
and  diving  among  the  ferns  and  deep  beds  of  moss  at  each  whisper  of  alarm. 
In  the  daytime  I  have  never  seen  them  move  about  nor  caught  any  in  my 
traps,  and  conclude  they  are  more  nocturnal  than  Z.  hudsonius.  "Napaoza- 
pus  "  seems  never  to  be  found  out  of  close  reach  of  a  stream.  If  you  fail  to 
catch  him  there,  it  is  useless  to  look  in  other  parts  of  the  forests  for  him. 
As  he  is  attracted  by  raisins  and  oatmeal,  there  is  little  doubt  of  the  rather 
omnivorous  character  of  his  diet.  Having  been  unable  to  trap  this  animal  in 
any  given  season  as  late  as  Z.  hudsonius  in  the  neighboring  marshes,  I  con- 
clude that  it  begins  to  hibernate  sooner  than  that  animal.  The  peculiar,  and 
in  most  cases  conspicuous,  white  tip  to  the  tail  of  the  woodland  jumping - 
mouse  cannot  but  excite  our  curiosity,  especially  when  it  is  remembered  that 
Z.  hudsonius  does  not  show  it.  Owing  to  its  variable  amount,  ^  of  an  inch 
to  i  %  inches,  it  seems  to  show  a  condition  of  change,  not  improbably  toward 
a  future  atrophy  of  the  terminal  vertebrae  and  shortening  of  a  member  which 
some  change  in  environment  has  shown  to  be  uselessly  or  dangerously  long. 

Description  of  species. — There  is  only  one  American  species  of  this  sub- 
genus  known,  divided  into  three  races,  typical  insignis  of  the  Canadian  zone, 
roanensis  of  the  Great  Smoky  Mts.,  and  abietorum  of  the  Hudsonian  zone. 
None  of  these  are  known  to  reach  farther  west  than  Lake  Superior.  They 
are  characteristic  of  the  east  Canadian  and  Alleghanian  territories.  Any 
Napizozapus  can  be  distinguished  from  all  other  American  jumping  mice  by 
larger  size,  longer  ears,  fulvous  or  buff  yellow  coloration,  especially  on  sides 
of  head,  fore  neck,  and  on  ears,  with  much  less  admixture  of  the  black  hairs 
seen  in  other  species.  It  is  never  suffused  with  clay  or  fulvous  on  white 
underparts  as  in  Zapus,  and  lacks  the  upper  premolar,  a  small  peg-like  func- 
tionless  tooth  characteristic  of  Zapus,  the  absence  of  which  in  Napceozapus  is 
the  only  reason  for  its  subgeneric  separation  from  our  other  jumping  mice. 
I  am  unable  to  reconcile  the  elevation  of  this  subgenus  to  full  generic  rank 
with  the  fundamental  rules  of  classification. 


114  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Family  ERETHLZONTLLXE  ;  Stifftailed  American  Porcupines. 

Genus  Erethizon  F.  Cuvier,  Memoir  Museum  d'Histoire  Naturelles,  Paris, 
1822,  Vol.  9,  p.  426. 

Canada  Porcupine  ;  "Hedgehog1."     Erethizon  dorsatum  (Linnaeus). 

1758.     \_Hystrix]  dorsata  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  57. 

1852.  E\rethizon\  dorsatum  F.  Cuvier,  Memoir  Museum  d'Histoire  Na- 
turelles, Paris,  vol.  9,  p.  426. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian,  Lower  Hudsonian  and  upper  transition 
zones;  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  Great  Plains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  _/.-—  Once  abundant  in  all  the  mountainous  and 
well-forested  areas  of  the  Canadian  and  upper  transition  zones  in  Pa.  Also 
once  found  sparingly  in  parts  of  the  mountains  of  northern  N.  J.,  but  a  long 
while  exterminated  in  that  State. 

Records  in  Pa. — The  following  have  been  sent  in  answer  to  inquiries  as  to 
distribution  and  present  status  of  this  species  : 

Armstrong  Co. — "  I  have  heard  reports  of  the  occurrence  of  this  species  in 
the  Buffalo  Creek  region  of  Armstrong  Co." — Todd,  1902. 

Bradford  Co. — Reported  by  Stevens. 

Bucks  Co. — Subfossil  remains  found  in  Durham  Cave  in  1893  near  Riegels- 
ville,  identified  by  Prof.  E.  D.  Cope. — Mercer. 

Butler  Co. — "  I  have  heard  reports  of  the  occurrence  of  this  species  in  the 
Buffalo  Creek  Region." — Todd,  1902. 

Cambria  Ca. — "  R2ther  scarce,  but  some  found  over  the  mountains  in 
1900." — Shields.  Plentiful  in  the  vicinity  of  Lloydsville  in  winter  of  1897- 
1898."— Todd. 

Center  Co. — Present  in  wilder  parts  of  the  Co. — Fernald,  1 900. 

Clearfield  Co. — "  I  saw  a  dead  specimen  in  northern  part  of  Co.,  June, 
1899." — Todd.  "An  exceptionally  fine  one  received  from  Mr.  E.  K.  Morse, 
killed  near  Penfield,  Dec.  8,  1900." — Todd. 

Clinton  Co. — Several  specimens  have  been  sent  me  from  time  to  time  by 
Seth  Nelson,  who  reports  them  numerous.  In  my  own  experience  I  found 
this  to  be  the  case  in  the  same  region  in  1898.  They  seemed  to  prefer  the 
tops  of  the  mountains,  but  sometimes  came  down  to  the  banks  of  the  Sinne- 
mahoning. — Rhoads.  Plenty  around  Mill  Hall  in  1879. — Pfoutz. 

Columbia  Co. — "  A  stray  one  seen  now  and  then ;  plenty  on  North 
Mountain." — Buckalew,  1900. 

Crawford  Co. — Rapidly  disappearing ;  only  to  be  found  in  northeastern 
corner  of  Co. — Kirkpatrick. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  11$ 

Elk  Co, — Decreasing. — Luhr,  1900.  No  decrease  in  Co.  Plentiful  in  the 
mountains. — Clay,  1900. 

Erie  Co, — Not  rare  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  Co.,  but  do  not  reach  the 
lake  near  Presque  Isle. — Bacon,  1900. 

Forest  Co. — Abundant  in  hemlock  woods. — Zendle,  1900.  Increasing  in 
this  Co. — Haslet,  1900.  As  the  Co.  is  cleared  off  they  decrease. — Irwin,  1900. 
Plenty  in  this  Co.  and  a  great  nuisance,  gnawing  oil  derricks. — Dorworth, 
1900. 

Franklin  Co, — An  unknown  animal  in  this  region  (South  Mountain). — 
Strealy,  1896.  One  was  shot  by  George  Wrights  in  the  woods  near  Upper 
Strasburg,  Sept.  18,  1897. — Strealy. 

Fulton  Co, — Will  Montgomery  shot  one  about  1878  on  the  west  side  of 
Sideling  Hill  near  Locust  Grove. — J.  Cope. 

Huntingdon  Co, — Not  known  near  Mt.  Union. — Ingersoll,  1896.  A  few 
yet  found  near  Entriken  in  1898. — Todd,  fide  I.  Donaldson. 

Jefferson  Co. — "  I  once  handled  a  specimen  from  near  Reynoldsville." — 
Nease,  1898. 

Juniata  Co, — A  mountaineer  named  Wildmann  told  Mr.  Ingersoll  that  he 
had  heard  of  one  being  killed  in  northern  Juniata  Co.,  on  the  Black  Log 
Mountain. — Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  210. 

Lackawanna  Co. — "  I  have  received  3  specimens  from  the  Co.  to  be 
mounted  in  the  last  10  years." — Friant,  1898. 

Luzerne  Co. — Numerous. — Campbell,  1900. 

Lycoming  Co. — "  Generally  distributed  in  the  mountains  of  this  Co. ;  not 
decreasing." — Parker,  1900. 

McKean  Co. — Plenty,  and  a  nuisance ;  eating  oil  derricks. — Dorworth, 
1900.  Decreasing. — Dickeson,  1900. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos, — Their  "presence  on  the  Pocono  plateau  has  always 
been  rather  precarious,  and  with  the  vanishing  forest  areas,  it  has  become  so 
rare  that  it  is  believed  by  many  hunters  to  be  exterminated.  The  most  active 
of  these  gentlemen  have  not  seen  any  '  for  several  years.'  " — Rhoads,  Proc. 
Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1894,  p.  393.  A  specimen  shot  several  years  ago  in 
Pike  Co.  is  in  the  collection  of  E.  W.  Campbell,  of  Pittston. — Rhoads,  1902. 
Remains  of  this  animal  in  the  superficial  layer  of  Hartman's  Cave,  Monroe 
Co.  are  referred  to  by  Leidy  (Rep.  Pa.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887)  as  those  of  existing 
porcupine. — Rhoads. 

Potter  Co, — "Decreasing.  Plenty  as  late  as  1880.  Few  left  in  1900." — 
Austin.  Plenty  in  1900. — Dorworth. 

Somerset  Co, — "  Preble,  my  assistant  in  the  Biological  Survey,  was  told  [in 
1893]  that  the  porcupine  was  formerly  common  at  Crumb." — Merriam. 
Stated  by  Dr.  H.  D.  Moore,  of  New  Lexington,  to  be  nearly  extinct  in  his 
vicinity.  He  sent  me  some  of  the  quills  from  one  freshly  killed  near  there 
Nov.  5,  1899.  This  specimen  was  sent  to  the  Carnegie  Museum,  Pittsburgh. 


Il6  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Sullivan  Co. — I  have  seen  them  numerous  around  Eaglesmere. — Rhoads. 
Common  at  Eaglesmere. — Bennett,  1900.  Becoming  scarce. — Rothrock, 
1900.  "  In  all  timbered  tracts,  living  chiefly  on  hemlock  brush ;  knew  one 
to  stay  in  one  tree  two  months  without  descending.  Becoming  scarcer." — 
Behr,  1900. 

Tioga  Co. — "In  hemlock  forests  and  rocky  ledges,  still  plentiful." — Cleve- 
land, 1900.  Plenty. — Babcock,  1900. 

Union  Co. — "  Probably  extinct  in  this  Co.  The  last  one  known  to  me  was 
killed  [or  seen?]  in  1879." — Chambers. 

Venango  Co. — Not  common  in  Venango  Co.  One  was  killed  near  Oil  City, 
Oct.  7,  1899.— Dorworth. 

Warren  Co. — Plenty;  disturbing  oil  derricks  where  saturated  with  salt 
from  the  wells. — Dorworth,  1900. 

Washington  Co.— Two  were  said  to  have  been  found  near  the  borough  of 
Washington  in  1897. — Nease. 

Wayne  Co. — Decreasing. — Goodnough,  1900.  None  found  in  the  vicinity 
of  Maplewood. — Stevens,  1 900.  "  Still  found  in  Wayne  Co.  Two  killed 
near  Dyberry  this  year  [1900]." — Day.  Scarce,  some  left  where  there  is 
timber. — Teeple,  1900.  Frequently  seen  but  decreasing. — Kellew,  1900. 

Wyoming  Co. — Plentiful.     On  the  increase. — Robinson,  1900. 

Records  in  N.J. —  Warren  Co. — I  have  understood  from  Mr.  Strickland, 
of  Blairstown,  that  the  porcupine  was  formerly  found  in  the  higher  mountains 
of  this  county  near  the  Delaware.  As  it  is  a  fearless  swimmer  it  may  cross 
the  river  from  Pike  County  occasionally. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Habits,  etc. — As  the  habits  of  this  clumsiest,  most  stupid,  ungainly  and  un- 
touchable of  rodents  are  known  to  so  few  people,  I  will  outline  them  briefly. 
They  are  nowhere  "in  their  element."  In  water  they  can  just  manage  to 
paddle  and  scull  along,  being  too  fat  to  sink.  On  land  they  crawl  like  a  huge 
tortoise  both  in  pace  and  gait.  When  pursued  on  land  they  seek  preferably 
the  nearest  hole  that  will  at  least  cover  the  head,  wedging  themselves  tightly 
therein,  leaving  the  huge  bristling  back  and  the  ponderous  tail  for  the  enemy 
to  fool  with.  Sometimes  they  take  to  a  tree,  ascending  to  the  summit,  but 
they  are  slow  climbers.  The  tail  is  used  as  a  flail  to  parry  attack.  The 
quills  are  not  detached  except  by  contact,  anchoring  themselves  by  the  finely 
barbed  points,  and  thus  become  detached  from  their  loose  hold  on  the  por- 
cupine's skin.  They  work  their  way  into  skin  and  muscles  quickly  and  auto- 
matically, and  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  anatomy  of  wild  animals  which 
sometimes  eat  porcupines  when  driven  by  hunger.  Porcupines  are  said  to  be 
arboreal.  They  do  ascend  and  descend  trees  to  get  bark  and  twigs  for  food. 
In  doing  so  they  again  display  their  innate  awkwardness,  the  huge  tail  lurch- 
ing from  side  to  side  as  they  shin  slowly  up,  threatening  at  every  step  to  throw 
the  animal  to  the  ground,  but  their  strength  is  enormous,  and  sheer  might  of 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  II 7 

hugging  and  clawing,  tooth  and  nail,  gets  him  his  breakfast.  Unless  they  can 
reach  the  top  of  a  large  or  tall  tree  before  being  seen,  they  will  hastily  de- 
scend a  smaller  tree  when  discovered  and  bolt  for  their  rocky  dens  in  the 
most  ludicrous  and  stupid  fashion.  They  are  more  at  home  among  rock  piles 
and  caverns  than  anywhere  else  and  once  jammed  head  foremost  in  such  re- 
treats neither  man  nor  beast  can  dislodge  them.  In  these  places  they  bring 
forth  the  young.  They  spend  a  part  of  the  winter  here  in  a  semi-hibernation. 
At  the  same  time  they  can  remain  indefinitely  during  the  same  season  in  the 
lofty  forks  of  a  hemlock  or  pine.  They  are  to  some  extent  destructive  of 
timber  by  girdling  the  bark.  Owing  to  their  love  of  salt  they  visit  camps  and 
cabins  and  eat  away  the  woodwork  and  utensils  which  have  become  saturated 
with  saline  matter,  causing  great  annoyance  by  the  nightly  noise  and  destruc- 
tion. Oil  derricks,  etc.,  where  saturated  from  salt  springs  are  destroyed  also. 
They  eat  the  flesh,  bones  and  horns  of  dead  animals  in  the  woods  with  great 
avidity.  Sometimes  they  ascend  an  oak  or  other  tree,  and  as  if  from  mere 
wantonness  strew  the  ground  with  cartloads  of  brush,  clipped  from  the 
branches  as  with  a  knife.  My  friend  Seth  Nelson  explained  to  me  that  owing 
to  the  back  spines  they  were  unable  to  copulate  in  the  usual  manner  of  quad- 
rupeds, but  the  sexes  ascend  a  tree  and  hang  facing  each  other  on  opposite 
sides  of  a  small  limb,  thus  embracing  without  damage,  the  underside  of  the 
body  being  devoid  of  spines.  Herrick,  in  "  Mammals  of  Minnesota,"  says  he 
found  one  eating  the  tender  shoots  of  Sagittaria  or  narrow-leaved  pond  lily, 
its  stomach  being  crammed  with  these.  In  eating  these  it  made  a  remark- 
ably loud  and  clattering  noise  with  its  teeth.  It  appears  that  they  eat  a  large 
variety  of  vegetable  food,  but  that  the  staple  diet  is  from  pine  and  hemlock 
timber,  the  inner  bark  being  especially  relished.  They  have  few  young  at 
birth,  generally  two,  and  the  relative  size  of  the  foetus  just  before  birth  is  said 
to  be  extraordinarily  great,  absolutely  greater  than  that  of  the  black  bear. 
When  attacked  by  blows  or  mortally  wounded,  the  moaning,  groaning  and 
sighing  sounds  which  they  make  are  so  human-like  and  pitiful  that  no  person 
thus  treating  them  out  of  mere  curiosity  or  wantonness,  would  be  likely  to 
repeat  the  offense  on  these  grounds  alone.  They  often  form  an  emergency 
meat  diet  for  the  lumberman  and  camper,  their  flesh,  as  I  can  testify,  being 
palatable  and  nourishing,  though  tough  and  dark  in  an  old  specimen.  It  has 
a  peculiar  odor  before  cooking  which  would  repel  faint  stomachs.  Mr.  S. 
Nelson  tells  me  they  smell  in  their  dens  like  a  negro ;  have  2  to  4  young  at  a 
birth ;  eat  fir,  pine,  aspen  and  chestnut  bark  and  twigs,  also  moss ;  do  not 
hibernate ;  flesh  takes  on  quality  of  food,  and  is  very  good  when  they  are  eat- 
ing chestnuts. 

Description  of  species. — As  it  is  impossible  to  confound  this  with  any  other 
east  American  animal,  I  need  merely  state  that  it  is  brownish  and  sooty  black, 
showing  lighter  where  the  greater  quills  of  back  and  hind  head  grow  thickest. 


Il8  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

The  hair  is  wiry,  sparse  and  extends  in  places  3  or  4  inches  beyond  the  quill 
tips.  The  length  of  a  full  grown  one  is  sometimes  3  feet,  i  foot  of  which  is 
tail.  The  tail  is  a  flattened,  elongate,  blunt  triangle  ;  the  whole  build  of  the 
animal  resembling  that  of  an  awkward,  hunchbacked,  hypochodriac  beaver. 
Their  maximum  weight  when  fat  is  very  great,  reaching  upward  of  35  or  40 
pounds. 

Family  LEPORID^:  ;  Hares,  Rabbits. 

Genus  Lepus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  57. 

Alleghenian  Varying  Hare ;  White  Rabbit.  Lepus  americanus 
virgininianus  (Harlan). 

1825.  Lepus  virginianus  Harlan,  Fauna  Americana,  p.  196. 

1877.  \_Lepus  americanus~\  virginianus  Allen,  Monograph  N.  American 
Rodentia,  p.  307. 

Type  locality. — Blue  Mountains,  northeast  of  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian  and  upper  transition  zones,  New  Bruns- 
wick to  Minnesota,  south  in  Alleghanies  to  North  Carolina. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Once  an  abundant  dweller  of  the  wooded 
parts  of  the  Canadian  and  transition  zones  of  both  states.  Now  almost  ex- 
terminated in  N.  J.  and  found  only  in  numerous  isolated  and  restricted  situ- 
ations in  the  Allegheny  and  Blue  ridge  mountain  systems,  this  decimated 
condition  being  due  to  deforesting  and  burning  rather  than  to  direct  destruc- 
tion by  man  or  wild  animals. 

Records  in  Pa. — Bearing  in  mind  the  abundance  of  this  species  only  30 
years  ago,  the  following  reports  from  its  former  haunts  will  give  some  idea  of 
present  conditions : 

Blair  Co. — A  specimen  recently  taken  in  this  Co.  is  in  Museum  of  Acad. 
Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  They  were  reported  to  Ingersoll  as  living,  in  1896,  10  or  12 
miles  from  Tyrone. — Rhoads. 

Cambria  Co. — "Old  hunters  of  southern  Cambria  Co.  formerly  knew  of 
them,  but  they  had  been  killed  off  several  years  ago." — Ingersoll,  1896.  "A 
few  remain,  especially  around  Shade  Creek.  They  were  formerly  distributed 
all  over  this  county." — Shields,  1901. 

Cameron  Co. — "  Numerous,  but  decreasing  as  the  woods  are  cut  off." — 
Larrabee,  1896. 

Centre  Co. — Found  along  the  mountain  tops — Fernald,  1900. 

Clearfield  Co. — Two  specimens  were  sent  to  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  from 
Bell's  Landing  (in  1890?). — Rhoads. 

Clinton  Co. — I  saw  one  in  July,  1895,  near  Round  Island. — Nelson.  "Some 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  119 

left  near  Mill  Hall,  but  not  many."— Pfoutz,  1901.  Once  abundant  on  the 
mountains  near  Round  Island  but  so  decreased  that  Nelson,  after  two  years' 
endeavor,  was  unable  to  get  me  any  specimens  except  two  or  three  old  skulls. 
I  made  special  search  for  it  in  this  region  without  rinding  a  track  in  1898. 
The  common  rabbit,  once  a  rare  or  unknown  species  in  these  mountains,  is 
now  numerous  there. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Columbia  Co. — "  Once  plenty,  now  superseded  by  the  gray  rabbit  in  Co- 
lumbia Co.,  except  in  the  North  Mountain." — Buckalew,  1900. 

Crawford  Co. — "  Formerly  in  Pymatuning  and  Conneaut  marshes  and  in 
the  Cussewago  and  French  Creek  valleys,  but  none  killed  for  several  years." 
— Kirkpatrick,  1900. 

Elk  Co. — Quite  plentiful. — Clay,  1900. 

Erie  Co. — Once  common ;  last  known  to  be  taken  in  the  Co.  was  9  or  10 
years  ago. — Bacon,  1900. 

Forest  Co. — I  killed  one,  winter  1898,  near  Newtown  Mills. — Zendle. 
"  Range  with  the  deer ;  poor  eating." — Haslet.  Rare  in  this  Co. — Irwin, 
1900. 

Franklin  Co. — Mr.  Strealy,  of  Chambersburg,  member  of  a  hunting  club, 
whose  acquaintance  with  the  animals  of  the  South  Mountain  (Franklin,  Adams 
and  Cumberland  Cos.)  is  thorough,  says  there  are  none  of  this  species  found 
there  nor  has  he  known  of  them  there  in  the  past. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Huntingdon  Co. — Long  extinct  near  Entriken. — Todd,  1901.  Found  west 
of  Mt.  Union. — Ingersoll,  1896. 

Juniata  Co. — Not  known  of  around  Tuscarora. — Ingersoll,  1896. 

Lackawanna  Co. — Several  taken  in  the  Co.  near  Scranton  have  been  pre- 
served for  hunters  by  G.  P.  Friant.  One  is  in  the  Wagner  Museum,  Phila. — 
Rhoads.  I  shot  one  in  Lackawanna  Co.  near  Clitton. — Campbell,  1900. 
Plentiful  in  Lack.  Co.,  called  "  Hare." — Stevens,  1900. 

Luzerne  Co. — Numerous. — Campbell,  1900.     Rare. — Stocker,  1900. 

Ly coming  Co. — Found  occasionally. — Rothrock,  1900.  Found  on  North 
Mountain. — Buckalew,  1900. 

MeKean  Co. — Several  taken  near  Warren,  winter  1898-99. — Todd.  Found 
throughout  Allegheny  and  Susquehanna  watershed. — Dickeson,  1900. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "Not  uncommon  in  the  higher  mountain  swamps." 
— Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1894,  p.  393.  Some  left  in  swamps  near 
Long  Pond. — Campbell,  1902.  "Some  found  in  thinly-settled  parts  of  north- 
ern townships  of  Monroe  Co." — Bisbing,  1900. 

Potter  Co. — "The  'cottontails'  have  overrun  the  country  in  Potter  Co. 
once  inhabited  solely  by  the  northern  hare." — Austin,  1900,  Yet  numerous 
in  our  Co. — Austin,  1900. 

Somerset  Co. — "  Preble  was  told  in  1893  that  the  white  rabbit  was  formerly 
common  near  Crumb."  "  Preble  was  told  of  the  occurrence  of  Lefus  virgin- 


I2O  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

ianus  at  Finzel,  Md.,  only  y2  a  mile  from  the  Pa.  line." — Merriam.  "  Not 
plentiful  at  Elk  Lick,  but  there  are  some." — Mier,  1902. 

Sullivan  Co. — "  Found  all  over  wooded  districts,  but  diminish  as  big  timber 
is  removed.  Rhododendron  swamps  are  their  haunts  in  winter." — Behr,  1901. 
Abundant  about  Eaglesmere. — Bennett,  1896.  "The  'Jack  rabbit'  is  found 
occasionally  between  Highland  Lake  and  Eaglesmere  and  in  other  parts  of 
the  Bald  Eagle  mountain." — Parker,  1900. 

Tioga  Co. — "  Driven  by  gray  rabbit  from  clearings  into  deep  swamps." — 
Cleveland,  1900.  Plentiful;  thousands  in  this  locality  (Blossburg). — Bab- 
cock,  1900. 

Union  Co. — "  Seen  a  few  years  ago  in  the  mountains.  Some  probably  re- 
main in  Union  Co." — Chambers,  1900. 

Venango  Co. — "  Not  found.  Have  endeavored  to  stock  our  woods  with 
them  without  success." — Dorworth,  1900. 

Wayne  Co. — Numerous. — Stocker,  1900.  Fast  decreasing. — Goodnough, 
1900.  Quite  a  number  to  be  found  in  swamps. — Stevens,  1900.  "  Decreas- 
ing; 3  or  4  shot  in  Nov.,  1899,  at  White's  Valley,  only  half  white." — Day. 
Some  left. — Teeple,  1900.  A  few  killed  in  the  swamps  every  winter. — Kellew, 
1900. 

Wyoming  Co. — Found  all  over  wooded  districts. — Behr,  1901.  Quite 
plenty  on  the  mountains  in  some  places. — Robinson,  1900. 

Records  in  N.J. — Passaic  Co. — Exterminated  in  the  vicinity  of  Greenwood 
Lake  mountains  about  1890.  Larkin  Hazen  shot  one  in  the  mountain  just 
north  of  the  state  line,  Orange  Co.,  N.  York,  in  1891. — Rhoads. 

Sussex  Co. — They  used  to  frequent  the  tamarack  swamps  near  Culver's 
Lake  and  Long  Pond,  and  were  thought  by  hunters  to  still  exist  there  in 
1896.  I  was  unable  to  find  any  in  these  swamps,  however. — Rhoads. 

Warren  Co. — Mr.  Strickland,  of  Blairstown,  told  me  that  a  few  still  existed 
around  the  high  mountain  swamps  and  lakes  of  the  Kittatinny  Range. — 
Rhoads,  1902. 

Habits,  etc. — My  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  this  hare  is  derived  solely 
from  accounts  given  me  by  hunters.  It  does  not  differ  very  greatly  from  the 
cottontail  in  habits,  but  prefers  secluded  swamps  and  shaded,  wooded  re- 
treats to  those  more  open  ones  frequented  by  the  smaller  species.  The 
apparent  driving  out  of  this  large  species  by  the  latter  is  to  my  mind  solely 
due  to  deforestation,  bringing  about  a  climate  fatal  to  its  existence  over  vast 
tracts  once  congenial.  I  doubt  greatly  if  the  small  rabbit  in  any  way  perse- 
cutes its  rival,  but  it  merely  follows  the  "opening  up  of  the  country  "  because 
that  process  enables  it  to  live  where  formerly  the  virgin  forest  conditions 
excluded  it. 

The  food  of  this  hare  being  chiefly  of  trees  and  bushes,  is  of  such  a  nature 
at  certain  seasons  as  to  make  its  flesh  greatly  inferior  to  that  of  the  cotton- 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  121 

tail,  being  hard,  dry  and  juiceless.  Bachman  says  they  never  retreat,  when 
pursued,  to  holes  or  burrows.  When  snow  is  deep  its  large  feet  support  it  so 
that  it  can  escape  dogs  as  if  provided  with  snowshoes,  hence  one  of  its 
popular  names.  It  does  not  forage  in  open  fields  or  country,  hence  is  not 
destructive  to  crops,  however  common.  They  have  2  litters  of  4  to  6  each 
yearly,  born  in  May  and  July  or  August.  They  prefer  coniferous  to  decidu- 
ous woods. 

Description  of  species.  —  This  animal,  like  the  weasel,  turns  more  or  less 
white  in  winter.  In  the  transition  zone  it  rarely  becomes  much  white,  some 
individuals  changing  but  slightly  from  their  summer  color.  The  dispute 
regarding  the  method  by  which  this  color  change  is  accomplished  has  been 
often  settled,  but  by  no  one  more  conclusively  than  by  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  in  the 
Bulletin  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  in  which  he  proves 
that  the  summer  and  winter  coats,  whatever  their  colors  may  be,  are  acquired, 
and  the  color  also,  by  the  molt  which  regularly  occurs  in  spring  and  fall. 
The  animal  has  no  power  to  change  the  color  after  the  new  hair  begins  to 
grow,  but  the  disposition  and  physical  condition  of  the  animal,  the  climate  in 
which  it  lives  and  other  mysterious  effects  of  its  environment,  determine  the 
amount  of  white  which  shall  be  acquired  in  any  given  place  and  at  any  sea- 
son. Undoubtedly  this  turning  white  in  winter  is  primarily  intended  as  a 
protective  measure  for  the  existence  of  the  species  during  the  season  of 
snows,  great  cold  and  increased  activity  of  beasts  of  prey. 

The  Alleghanian  hare  is  larger,  and  longer  by  two  inches,  than  the  cotton- 
tail hare  of  the  same  regions.  Its  most  distinguishing  features  are  color  and 
the  great  size  of  the  hind  foot.  In  winter  the  two  are  readily  separated  ;  in 
summer  the  larger  species  is  bright  rusty  brown,  with  ears  dusky  at  the  tip 
and  bordered  with  whitish,  while  the  cottontail  is  wood-brown  or  yellowish- 
brown  mixed  with  black  hairs  above,  and  has  plain  brownish  ears. 

Measurements.  —  Total  length,  485  mm.  (19);  tail,  50  (12);  hind  foot, 


Specimens  examined.—  From  following  Pa.  counties  :  Blair  Co.,  i.  Clinton 
Co.,  6.  Clearfield  Co.,  2.  Lackawanna  Co.,  2.  Luzerne  Co.,  i.  Potter 
Co.,  2.  Sullivan  Co.,  4.  Tioga  Co.,  i. 

Alleghenian  Cottontail  or  Rabbit.  Lepus  floridanus  transitional 
(Bangs). 

1895.  Lepus  sylvaticus  transitionalis  Bangs,  Proceedings  Boston  Society 
Natural  History,  vol.  26,  p.  405. 

1899.  Lepus  floridanus  transitionalis  Allen,  Bulletin  American  Museum 
Natural  History,  vol.  12,  p.  13. 

Type  locality.  —  Liberty  Hill,  New  London  Co.,  Connecticut. 


122  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Faunal  distribution. — Transition  and  deforested  Canadian  zones  ;  southern 
New  England  to  and  including  watershed  of  Allegheny  and  Susquehanna 
Rivers,  south  along  the  Alleghenies  to  (and  beyond)  Maryland,  intergrading 
northward  and  westward  into  subspecies  mearnsi,  and  southward  into  ma/' 
lurus,  the  races  next  considered. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Cotemporary  with  the  transition  zone  in 
these  states  (see  map).  Not  found  in  northwestern  Pa.,  where  it  is  replaced 
by  the  prairie  race,  L.f.  mearnsi,  next  considered. 

Records,  habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  beyond  under  L.  f.  mal- 
lurus  or  Southeastern  Cottontail. 

Eastern  Prairie  Cottontail  or  Rabbit.  Lepus  floridanus  mearnsi 
(Allen). 

1894.  Lepus  sylvaticus  mearnsi  Allen,  Bulletin  American  Museum  Natural 
History,  vol.  6,  p.  171. 

1899.  Lepus  floridanus  mearnsi  Allen,  Ibid.,  vol.  12,  p.  13. 

Type  locality. — Fort  Snelling,  Hennepin  Co.,  Minnesota. 

Faunal  distribution. — "  The  eastern  prairie  cottontail  is  a  member  of  the 
eastern  prairie  fauna  of  the  transition  and  upper  austral  zones.  It  would, 
therefore,  not  .come  within  the  scope  of  the  present  paper  had  it  not  recently 
extended  its  range  as  far  as  Toronto,  Ontario  and  central  New  York." — See 
Miller,  Key  to  Land  Mammals  of  Northeastern  North  America,  1900,  p.  119. 
Examination  of  specimens  from  northwestern  Pa.  show  this  to  be  the  form  of 
cottontail  now  living  in  the  transition  and  deforested  Canadian  zones  in  that 
region.  It  intergrades  on  the  west  slope  of  the  Alleghenies  with  transition- 
alis,  and  probably  in  the  southeastern  (Ohio  valley)  lowlands  of  Pa.  with 
mallurus. 

Records,  habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  under  next  race,  L.f.  mal- 
lurus. 

Southeastern,  or  Lowland  Cottontail  or  Rabbit.  Lepus  floridanus 
mallurus  (Thomas). 

1898.  L.\epus\  n.\uttaUi'}  mallurus  Thomas,  Annals  and  Magazine  Natural 
History,  yth  series,  vol.  2,  p.  320. 

1899.  Lepus  floridanus  mallurus  Allen,  Bulletin  American  Museum  Natural 
History,  vol.  12,  p.  13. 

Type  locality. — Raleigh,  Wake  Co.,  N.  Carolina. 

Faunal  distribution. — Austral  zones ;  Atlantic  Ocean,  to  and  including 
Mississippi  Valley ;  southeastern  N.  York  t»  Georgia. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — This  is  the  abundant  and  well  known  rabbit 
of  the  lowlands  of  our  State.  Above  elevations  of  approximately  rooo  ft.  it 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  I2J 

begins  to  grade  into  the  larger,  paler  form  of  cottontail  known  technically  as 
transitionalis  east  of  the  great  Alleghenian  watershed.  West  of  that  range  in 
the  northern  drainage  of  the  Allegheny  River  and  of  Lake  Erie  it  grades  into 
the  pale-rumped  race,  mearnsi. 

Habits,  etc,  —  "  Brer  Rabbit  "  is  as  well  known  to  old  and  young  as  some  of 
our  best  friends.  The  three  divisions  of  his  family  now  made  by  hair-splitting 
naturalists  seem  to  have  made  no  alteration  in  his  manners  wherever  found. 
Being  ever  ready  to  explore  and  develop  new  fields,  he  has  followed  closely 
on  the  heels  of  "  the  man  with  an  axe  "  and  assumed  "  squatter  sovereignty  " 
with  timid  nonchalance  born  of  persecution.  The  meek  shall  indeed  inherit 
the  earth,  in  proportion  as  they  "  be  fruitful  and  multiply  and  replenish  "  it. 
Let  us  go  to  the  rabbit,  consider  his  ways,  and  be  wise. 

Description  of  species.  —  I  use  the  following  guide  to  the  three  races  of  cot- 
tontail found  in  our  limits  from  Miller's  Key  :  i  .  General  color  bright  yellow- 
ish brown  with  a  strong  admixture  of  black  ;  a  distinct  black  spot  between 
ears  =  L.f.  transitionalis.  2.  General  color  pale  yellowish  brown  with  very 
faint  admixture  of  black  ;  no  black  spot  between  ears  ;  rump  noticeably  paler 
than  back,  hind  foot  often  over  100  millimeters  (4  in.)  =Z./.  mearsni.  3. 
Same  general  colors  as  mearnsi,  but  rump  noticeably  paler  than  back  and 
hind  foot  generally  under  100  mm.  (4  in.)  =  L.f.  mallurus.  There  is  a  large 
area  of  debatable  ground  in  the  Alleghanies,  especially  in  the  common  water- 
shed of  the  Allegheny  and  Susquehanna  rivers,  and  in  the  southern  ridge 
where  it  enters  Maryland,  in  which  the  mixture  of  the  three  forms  is  puzzling, 
but  most  typical  transitionalis  occurs  in  the  mountains  of  central  and  north- 
eastern Pa.,  mearnsi  in  Erie  and  Crawford  Cos.  and  mallurus  in  the  lower 
Delaware,  Susquehanna  and  upper  Ohio  valleys.  Series  from  these  three 
localities,  all  taken  at  the  same  season,  are  readily  separable  into  the  races 
named. 

Measurements.  —  (From  Miller)  {transitionalis}  total  length,  430  mm. 
(17  in.);  tail,  55  (2ft);  hind  foot,  95  (3^);  mearnsi—  475  (i8#);  65 
(2#)  ;  100  (4)  ;  mallurus—  430  (17)  ;  55  (2  ft)  ;  95 


Order  PINNIPEDIA  ;   Seals. 
Family  PHOCIM:  ;  Earless  Seals. 

Genus  Phoca  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  37. 
Harbor  Seal  ;  Sea  Dog.     Phoca  vitulina  Linnaeus. 

1758.  Phoca  vitulina  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  37. 

Type  locality.  —  Europe. 

Faunal  distribution.  —  Waters,  islands  and  bays  of  the  north  Atlantic  Ocean  ; 


124  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

wandering  south  in  winter  to  North  Carolina  along  the  east  Atlantic  coasts ; 
occasionally  ascending  rivers. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Now  and  then  found  in  Delaware  Bay  and 
river  up  to  the  rocks  at  Trenton  Falls.  Often  noted  in  winter  along  the  entire 
N.  J.  coast.  Numerous  in  the  waters  of  northeastern  N.  J.,  New  York  Bay 
and  Hudson  River  at  the  same  season. 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — As  all  the  following  records  from  the  Delaware 
River  may  refer  to  both  states  in  a  faunal  sense,  they  will  not  be  separated  : 

Delaware  River. — The  following  is  extracted  from  Allen's  Monograph  of 
North  American  Pinnipeds,  1880,  pp.  585,  586:  "Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott,  the 
well-known  naturalist  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  kindly  writes  me  :  'In  going  over  my 
note  books  I  find  I  have  there  recorded  the  occurrence  of  seals  (Phoca  vitu- 
Jt'na)  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  as  follows:  December,  1861 ;  January,  1864;  De- 
cember, 1866;  February,  1870,  and  December,  1877.  In  [each  of]  these  5 
instances  a  single  specimen  was  killed  on  the  ledge  of  rocks  crossing  the  river 
here  and  forming  the  rapids.  In  December,  1861,  three  were  seen,  and  two 
in  February,  1870.  A  week  later  one  was  captured  down  the  river  near  Bris- 
tol, Bucks  Co.,  Pa.  My  impression  is  that  in  severe  winters  they  are  really 
much  more  abundant  in  the  Delaware  River  than  is  supposed.  Considering 
how  small  a  chance  there  is  of  their  being  seen  when  the  river  is  choked  with 
ice,  I  am  disposed  to  believe  that  an  occasional  pair  or  more  come  up  the 
river  even  as  high  as  Trenton,  the  head  of  tide  water,  and  138  miles  from  the 
ocean.  On  examination  of  old  local  histories,  I  find  references  to  seals  as 
not  uncommon  along  our  coast  and  as  quite  frequently  wandering  up  our 
rivers  in  winter.  In  conversation  with  an  old  fisherman,  now  76  years  old, 
who  has  always  lived  near  Trenton  and  has  been  a  good  observer,  I  learn  that 
every  winter,  years  ago,  it  was  expected  that  one  or  more  seals  would  be  killed 
and  that  about  1840,  two  were  killed  in  March,  which  were  supposed  to  have 
accompanied  a  school  of  herring  up  the  river.  In  my  investigations  in  local 
archaeology,  I  have  found  in  some  of  the  fresh  water  shell  heaps,  or  rather 
camp  fire  and  fishing  village  sites  along  the  river,  fragments  of  bones  which 
were  at  the  time  identified  as  those  of  seals.  These  gave  me  the  impression 
that  the  seal,  like  many  of  our  large  mammal?,  had  disappeared  gradually  as 
the  country  became  more  densely  settled,  and  that  in  pre-European  times  it 
was  common,  at  certain  seasons,  both  on  the  coast  and  inland.'  "  Dr.  Allen 
subsequently  received  from  Dr.  Abbott  records  of  the  capture  of  8  more  seals 
in  New  Jersey,  mostly  near  Trenton,  during  the  winter  of  1878-79.  In  Wat- 
son's Annals  is  recorded  a  seal  4  ft.  4  in.  long,  weighing  61  Ibs.,  which  was 
captured  in  1824  near  the  Repaupo  (Gloucester  Co.)  flood  gates,  while  an- 
other approached  the  limits  of  Pa.  (Chester  Co.)  by  ascending  the  Elk  River, 
Maryland.  De  Kay,  in  his  Zoology  of  New  York,  states  that  formerly  they 
were  taken  almost  every  year  in  the  "  fyke  nets"  in  the  Passaic  River,  N.  J., 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  125 

Hudson  and  Essex  Cos.,  greatly  to  the  disgust  of  the  fishermen,  because  they 
destroyed  the  nets. 

In  the  "North  American"  (Philadelphia  newspaper),  under  date  of  Octo- 
ber 20,  1901,  a  despatch  from  Trenton,  N.  J.,  says :  "A  spotted  seal,  6  ft.  10 
in.  long,  was  caught  in  the  Delaware  River  here  yesterday  by  William  Hill 
and  Joseph  Springard,  two  sixth-ward  fishermen.  The  men  shot  the  animal 
when  it  appeared  alongside  their  rowboat." 

Warren  records  a  seal,  probably  this  species,  "  taken  in  the  Delaware  River 
two  years  ago  [1895]  at  Chester  City,  Delaware  Co.,"  Pa. — Poultry  Book, 
P-3I7- 

Regarding  its  occurrence  on  the  N.  J.  coast,  I  find  on  inquiry  among  fish- 
ermen that  it  is  frequently  seen,  sometimes  shot  and  sometimes  captured 
accidentally  in  seines.  I  have  seen  two  dead  and  one  live  one  at  Atlantic 
City  in  the  last  TO  years.  Dr.  T.  P.  Price,  of  Tuckerton,  recently  informed 
me  that  H.  Shourds  has  seen  about  a  dozen  altogether  in  Tuckerton  Bay  and 
that  B.  Chew  saw  one  at  Deep  Point,  Mullica  River.  Mr.  H.  W.  Hand  says 
i  or  2  are  seen  or  shot  in  Cape  May  Co.  waters  yearly.  Mr.  W.  S.  Williams 
writes  that  he  saw  one  about  1890  feeding  in  his  shad  net  in  Cohansey  Creek, 
presumably  near  Greenwich,  Cumberland  Co.  It  was  allowed  to  escape  for 
fear  of  breaking  the  seine. 

Habits,  etc. — This  is  the  only  American  species  known  to  wander  volun- 
tarily into  fresh  water  in  pursuit  of  fish.  In  so  doing  it  gets  into  the  fresh 
water  lakes  of  New  York,  hundreds  of  miles  from  salt  water.  In  Pa.  and 
N.  J.  it  is  known  only  as  a  winter  or  fall  migrant  from  its  summer  home  off 
the  coasts  of  northern  New  England  and  farther  north.  In  these  regions  it 
inhabits  the  rocky  reefs  and  outlying  islands  of  the  coasts,  there  bringing  forth 
its  single  young.  Its  food  consists  of  fish ;  the  flesh  and  skins  of  the  young 
are  much  prized  by  the  aborigines.  It  is  exceedingly  wary  where  hunted 
and  difficult  to  kill  with  shot.  Its  commercial  importance  was  always  small. 

Description  of  species. — Color  variable.  Usually  yellowish  gray  varied  with 
irregular  spots  of  dark  brown,  smaller  on  the  underside  than  on  back.  Some- 
times without  dark  spots,  sometimes  dark,  streaked  irregularly  with  lighter 
color.  It  can  be  distinguished  from  the  other  two  rarer  species  found  in  our 
limits  by  its  color  and  smaller  size.  Its  total  length  when  adult  is  about  5 
feet. 

Harp  Seal.     Phoca  groenlandica  Erxleben. 

1777.  Phoca  groenlandica  Erxleben,  Systema  Regni  Animalium,  vol.  i,  p. 
588. 

Type  locality. — Greenland  and  Newfoundland. 

Faunal  distribution. — Circumpolar  seas,  south  along   the  east  coast  of 


126  MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

America  normally  to  the  Magdalen  Islands,  fortuitously  to  New  England  and 
New  Jersey. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — The  only  record  of  the  occurrence  of  this 
seal  in  our  limits  rests  solely  on  the  following  mention  made  by  Dr.  J.  A. 
Allen  in  his  Monograph,  above  cited,  page  640  :  "  I  have,  however,  recently 
been  informed  by  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott,  of  New  Jersey,  that  a  seal,  described  to 
him  as  being  about  6  feet  long,  white,  with  a  broad  black  band  along  each 
side  of  the  back,  was  taken  near  Trenton  in  that  state  during  the  winter  of 
1878-79.  This  description  can  of  course  refer  to  no  other  species  than 
Phoca  groenlandica,  and  as  it  comes  from  a  wholly  trustworthy  source  it 
seems  to  substantiate  the  occasional  occurrence  of  this  species  as  far  south  as 
New  Jersey." 

I  have  written  Dr.  Abbott  for  further  particulars  regarding  this  record,  but 
he  answers  that  he  finds  no  reference  to  it  in  his  note  books,  and  that  his 
memory  does  not  serve  him  reliably  enough  at  this  late  date  to  add  anything 
to  the  data  given  by  Dr.  Allen. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Habits,  etc. — This  species  forms  the  bulk  of  the  sealing  industry  in  the  east 
Atlantic.  It  is  very  numerous  and  gregarious,  breeding  off  the  coast  of  New- 
foundland. It  is  unsuspicious  and  easily  killed.  It  never  is  found  numerous 
except  in  the  vicinity  of  ice. 

Description  of  species. — The  Harp  seal  is  so  named  from  its  distinctive 
color  markings,  the  male  having  a  black  face  and  a  harp-shaped,  irregular 
band  of  black  almost  encircling  the  back,  crossing  below  the  neck  and  nearly 
meeting  at  the  rump.  This  is  in  contrast  to  a  nearly  white  background.  The 
female  is  but  slightly  mottled  with  black.  Length,  5  to  5^  feet. 

Genus  Cystophora  Nilsson,  Skandinav.  Fauna,  vol.  i,  p.  382. 
Hooded  Seal ;  Bladder/nose.     Cystophora  cristata  (Erxleben). 

1777.  Phoca  cristata  Erxleben,  Systema  Regni  Animal.,  vol.  i,  p.  590. 

1841.  Cystophora  cristata  Nilsson,  Wiegmann's  Archiv.  f  Naturges.,  vol.  8, 
bd.  i,  p.  326. 

Type  locality. — Southern  Greenland  and  Newfoundland. 

Faunal  distribution. — "  Restricted  to  colder  parts  of  the  North  Atlantic 
and  to  portions  of  the  Arctic  Sea." 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Occasional  straggler  on  the  N.  J.  coast; 
recorded  two  or  three  times  from  as  far  south  as  Chesapeake  Bay  in  Maryland. 

Record  in  N.  J. — The  following  is  the  only  record  of  this  species  in  our 
limits.  I  quote  from  the  American  Naturalist  of  Nov.,  1883,  pp.  1191,  1192  : 
"  Mammals. — Mr.  A.  E.  Brown  writes  to  Forest  and  Stream  concerning  the 
capture  of  the  hooded  seal  near  Spring  lake,  New  Jersey,  which  was  forwarded 
to  the  Zoological  Garden  at  Philadelphia :  '  It  was  in  poor  condition  when 


MAMMALS   OF  PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  127 

received,  steadily  refused  food,  and  died  on  the  ninth  day  after  arrival,  when 
its  incisor  dentition  (~),  the  large  development  of  claws  on  the  hind  feet, 
with  other  details,  proved  it  to  be  a  young  female  hooded  seal  ( Cystophora 
cristata).  Although  a  few  specimens  of  this  seal  have  been  seen  on  our  shores, 
even  as  far  south  as  the  Chesapeake,  yet  its  occurrence  is  sufficiently  rare  to  be 
worthy  of  note,  and  at  this  season  of  the  year  it  may  be  inferred  that  a  con- 
siderable part,  at  least,  of  the  voyage  was  performed  on  an  iceberg  or  floe. 
The  short  life  of  the  animal  gave  little  chance  to  observe  peculiarities  of 
habit,  the  only  ones  observed  being  its  extremely  savage  disposition,  to  a  de- 
gree far  greater  than  I  have  ever  seen  in  the  common  seal,  and  its  habit  of 
floating  in  the  water  with  the  axis  of  the  body  almost  perpendicular  instead 
of  horizontal,  as  with  most  other  seals.  Both  of  these  habits  I  find  to  be 
mentioned  by  those  who  have  observed  the  animal  under  motion.  It  is 
much  to  be  regretted  that  the  specimen  did  not  live,  as  its  presence  in  the 
same  pond  with  specimens  of  three  other  North  American  seals,  the  common 
seal  (Phoca  vitulina),  the  California  elephant  seal  (Macrorhinus  angustiros- 
tris) ,  and  Gillespie's  hair  seal  (Zalophus  calif ornianus),  would  have  offered  a 
rare  opportunity  for  studying  the  moral  differences  of  these  species.  It  is 
curious  to  observe  that  the  habit  of  floating  perpendicularly,  above  referred 
to,  is  shared  by  it  with  the  sea  elephant,  which  it  resembles  in  dentition,  and 
quite  strikingly  in  internal  anatomy,  the  two  genera  forming  a  group  quite 
apart  in  subordinate  characters  from  the  other  Phocidae.' " 

This  animal  was  sent  to  the  Zoological  Garden  by  I.  Roberts  Newkirk  of 
Philadelphia. 

Habits,  etc. — This  species,  like  the  harp  seal,  is  by  preference  a  dweller  on 
the  drift  ice  of  the  high  seas,  away  from  rocky  islands  or  shores.  It  is  com- 
bative and  quarrelsome  and  exceedingly  difficult  to  kill.  It  feeds  on  fish, 
crustaceans  and  mollusks.  Owing  to  its  scarcity  it  has  a  small  commercial 
value. 

Description  of  species. — Head  and  limbs  nearly  uniform  black.  Color 
above  bluish  black  varied  with  small  whitish  patches,  lighter  beneath.  Male 
with  head  surmounted  by  a  movable  muscular  bag,  extending  from  nose  to 
behind  the  eyes,  and  about  a  foot  long.  Length  of  old  male  7^  to  8  feet. 

Order  FERAE :   Carnivores  or  Flesh  Eaters. 

Family  FELHXE  ;  Cats. 

Genus  Felis  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  41. 
Alleghenian  Cougar ;  "  Panther."    Felis  couguar  Kerr. 
1792.  Felis  couguar  Kerr,  Animal  Kingdom,  p.  151. 


128  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Type  locality. — Pennsylvania. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Northeastern  United  States,  intergrading  in  Florida 
and  Louisiana  into  F.  c.  coryi  (Bangs),  in  western  Texas  into  F.  c.  aztecus 
(Merriam),  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  into  F.  c.  hippolestes  (Merriam)  and  in 
the  Cascade  Mts.  into  F.  c.  oregonensis  ( Rafinesque ) . 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Originally  found  in  every  part  of  both 
states,  but  always  more  abundant  in  the  Alleghany  mountains.  In  N.  J.  it 
became  extinct  in  the  early  part  of  the  ipth  century,  the  last  probably  occur- 
ring in  Sussex  or  Warren  Cos.  as  strays  from  northeastern  Pa.  No  dates  of 
their  extinction  in  N.  J.  have  been  secured.  In  Pa.  they  have  not  been 
killed,  so  far  as  I  can  substantiate  the  accounts  which  have  been  published, 
since  1871,  though  one  statement  would  imply  that  2  had  been  killed  in 
Clinton  or  Clearfield  Co.  in  1891. 

Records  in  Pa. — Bedford,  Blair  and  Huntingdon  Cos. — "Among  the  moun- 
tains of  the  headwaters  of  the  Juniata  River,  as  we  were  informed,  the  Congar 
is  so  abundant  that  one  man  has  killed  for  some  years  from  2  to  5,  and  one 
very  hard  winter,  7."  It  has  3  or  4  young,  5  are  a  rare  exception.  The  usual 
number  is  2. — Audubon  and  Bachman,  Quad.  N.  Amer.,  1851,  vol.  2,  p.  311. 

Berks  Co. — "  Last  Wednesday  "  a  panther  was  killed  in  Albany  township 
in  the  Blue  Mountains  by  Thomas  Anson.  Weight  146  Ibs.  Length,  4  ft. 
5}^  inches,  plus  2  feet  of  tail.  Mr.  Pfleger  was  also  in  the  party.  Signed, 
O.  D.  S.,  Hamburg,  Berks  Co.,  Aug.  10, 1874. — See  Forest  and  Stream,  1874, 
vol.  3,  p.  67. 

Bradford  Co. — "  Dr.  W.  S.  Lewis,  of  Canton,  tells  me  that  Post.  Wilcox,  a 
grandson  of  Sheff.  Wilcox,  when  a  boy  fifteen  years  old,  in  the  winter  of  1858, 
killed  a  panther  in  Albany  Twp.  The  doctor  gives  the  particulars  of  the  hunt 
for  the  panther.  I  have  no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  his  statement." — Cleveland, 
1901.  "Mr.  A.  D.  McCrassey,  who  is  at  present  Chief  of  Police  of  Canton 
borough,  informs  me  that,  in  1869,  with  his  wife,  and  a  Mr.  Northrop  and  his 
wife,  while  taking  a  Sunday  after-dinner  stroll  along  the  track  of  the  Barclay 
R.  R.,  not  far  from  Greenwood,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.,  an  animal  jumped  on  the 
track  a  few  rods  in  front  of  them,  halted,  turned  and  looked  at  them  a 
moment,  then  disappeared  in  the  woods,  making  tremendous  leaps.  Descrip- 
tion :  light  yellow  color,  body  five  feet  long,  tail  apparently  as  long  as  its 
body  ;  head,  large  and  round ;  ears,  short  and  erect ;  eyes,  large,  round  and 
glaring.  Mr.  McCrassey  does  not  name  the  animal." — Cleveland,  1901. 

Cambria  Co. — Panthers  are  stated  by  Hallock  to  be  found  near  Ebensburg 
in  1877.  See  Sportsman's  Gazetteer,  1877,  p.  140.  On  Stony  Creek,  12 
miles  from  Johnstown,  a  Mr.  KaufFman  and  companion  found  a  mangled 
sheep  from  which  they  tracked  a  panther  to  a  nearby  ledge,  from  which,  with 
dogs,  they  dislodged  it.  It  took  refuge  in  a  cave  close  by  after  being  wounded. 
Digging  down  to  the  cave  from  above,  they  killed  it.  This  was  about  the 
year  1875. — Shields,  1901. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  129 

Cameron  Co. — None  have  been  killed  in  20  years  in  the  Emporium  region. 
Larrabee,  1896.  "The  last  date  of  a  panther  that  I  can  give  is  of  the  two 
killed  down  on  the  Driftwood,  between  Stirling  and  Driftwood,  in  1851,  by 
Isaac  Rammage,  who  was  an  old  hunter  at  that  time." — Dickinson,  1901. 

Centre  Co. — "James  Moore  killed  one  in  Centre  Co.  in  1893." — Nelson, 
1900.  The  only  specimen  of  Pa.  panther  known  to  me  is  in  the  museum  of 
State  College  at  Bellefonte.  It  was  presented  to  the  State  by  Samuel  E. 
Brush,  who  shot  it  in  Susquehanna  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1856.  It  was  exhibited  in  the 
Pa.  zoological  display  at  the  Chicago  World's  Fair,  1892. — Rhoads,  fide 
Friant.  A  Centre  Co.  panther  is  recorded  in  the  table  of  bounties  paid  by 
that  Co.  in  1886,  as  given  in  the  book  "Diseases  and  Enemies  of  Poultry  " 
by  Warren,  p.  675. 

Clearfield  and  Centre  Cos. — The  last  known  to  me  was  killed  by  James 
David  and  Nick  Hastings  on  Big  Run  of  Beech  Creek,  Clinton  Co. — Pfoutz. 
"  Sometime  during  the  year  1871  George  Hastings  and  James  David  while 
hunting  on  Big  Run  "  killed  two  panthers  which  their  dogs  treed,  for  whose 
.scalps  the  county  paid  §12  each.  This  was  in  Beech  Creek  township. — See 
Maynard's  Historical  View  of  Clinton  Co.,  1875,  p.  122. 

Relative  to  the  above  statements,  I  give  the  following  letter  kindly  answer- 
ing my  inquiries  of  an  earlier  date  under  caption  of — 

"  BEECH  CREEK,  FEB'Y  28xH,  1901. 

"  Dear  Sir :  Replying  to  your  letter  of  inquiry  of  Jan'y  30, 1901,  will  say  the 
panthers  were  killed  by  my  brother,  George  G.  Hastings,  in  December,  1871. 
The  first  one  was  killed  on  the  middle  branch  of  the  '  Big  Run,'  J^  mile 
above  Winslow's  Splash  dam.  Was  treed  by  a  large  bull-dog.  My  brother 
shot  it  through  top  of  shoulders.  It  jumped  to  the  ground.  The  dog  caught 
and  held  it  until  my  brother  ran  up  and  shot  it  through  the  head,  killing  it  in- 
stantly. The  day  following  the  second  one  was  trailed  from  where  the  first 
one  was  killed  to  the  swamp  branch  of  "  Big  Run,"  when  the  bull-dog  was  put 
on  the  trail.  The  panther  finally  took  refuge  under  a  large  rock.  The  dog 
pursued  it,  caught  it,  and  dragged  it  forth,  when  they  had  a  hard  fight.  The 
panther  succeeded  in  breaking  loose  from  the  dog  and  sprang  up  on  top  of 
the  rock,  where  it  remained  in  safety  until  my  brother  came  up  and  shot  it 
through  the  heart.  This  one  was  killed  near  the  mouth  of  '  Raccoon  Run,' 
a  tributary  of  the  swamp  branch  of  the  '  Big  Run.'  The  panthers  were  male 
and  female.  The  skins  measured  from  end  of  nose  to  end  of  tail :  female, 
«ight  feet ;  male,  nine  feet. 

"Your  letter  was  mislaid,  hence  the  delay  in  reply. 

(Signed)  "  E.  H.  HASTINGS." 


.[P.  S.] — "  My  brother  had  the  panther  skins  made  into  a  lap  robe,  which 


IJO  MAMMALS   OF  PENNSYLVANIA  AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

I  think  is  still  in  his  possession.  Any  further  information  he  will  cheerfully 
give  you.  His  address  is  George  G.  Hastings,  Bellefonte,  Pa." 

"  There  may  be  one  or  two  in  Clearfield  Co.,  but  the  Askey  boys  and  I 
killed  two  2  years  ago." — Nelson,  1893.  "Those  panther  skins,  with  two 
others,  went  to  Germany  with  a  lot  of  other  furs,  by  Schreader  &  Co.  I  did 
not  kill  the  panther;  it  got  in  my  bear  trap,  and  was  dead  when  I  came  to 
the  trap." — Nelson,  1895. 

Crawford  Co, — "  In  1833,  J.  and  P.  Vasbinder  killed  3  on  Boone's  Moun- 
tain."— McKnight's  History  Crawf.  Co..  1898. 

Elk  Co. — Last  one  killed  nearly  40  years  ago  in  Elk  Co. — Luhr.  Found 
near  Ridgway  as  late  as  1877. — Hallock,  Sportsman's  Gazetteer,  1877,  p.  140. 

Forest  Co. — "  Formerly  numerous  in  Kingsley  Twp.  and  at  Panther  Rocks, 
15  miles  above  Tionesta  on  French  Creek.  Last  killed  about  1848." — Irwin. 

Lancaster  Co. — About  1830,  a  stray  panther  was  seen  or  supposed  to  have 
been  seen. — See  Rathvon's  Hist.  Lane.  Co.,  1869,  p.  501. 

Luzerne  Co. — From  1808  to  1820,  Luzerne  Co.  paid  bounties  on  panther 
scalps,  $1822. — upwards  of  50  being  killed  in  i  year.  "There  are  no  pan- 
thers in  this  county  at  present,  except  occasionally  one  may  be  met  with  in 
the  great  swamps  or  on  the  North  Mountain." — Pearce,  Annals  Luzerne  Co., 
1860,  pp.  489,  490. 

Lycoming  Co. — "About  this  time  [1840]  a  Dr.  Reinwalt  was  called  from 
his  home  at  Liberty  Corners,  Tioga  Co.,  to  visit  a  patient  at  English  Center, 
Lycoming  Co.,  five  miles  distant.  The  Dr.  went  on  first,  taking  his  gun  with 
him,  a  double-barreled  rifle,  and  as  he  did  not  return  when  expected,  a  party 
went  in  search ;  but  as  a  heavy  body  of  snow  had  fallen  before  the  search 
began,  his  body  was  not  found  for  nearly  two  weeks.  It  was  lying  near  a 
large  butternut  tree.  The  wounds  on  the  body  indicated  that  a  panther  had 
killed  him.  One  barrel  of  his  gun  had  been  discharged  and  the  other  barrel 
had  missed  fire.  The  inference  was,  that  a  panther  was  perched  on  a  hori- 
zontal limb  of  the  butternut  tree  when  discovered  by  the  doctor,  that  a  shot 
from  his  rifle  wounded  the  brute,  when  it  sprang  from  the  limb  upon  the 
unfortunate  man. 

"  Liberty,  or  what  is  more  generally  known  as  the  Block- House,  from  a  house 
built  of  hewn  logs  by  the  first  settlers,  as  a  protection  from  the  Indians,  was 
settled  by  the  Germans,  or  Pennsylvania  Dutch.  They  were  a  superstitious 
people,  and  believed  in  witchcraft.  If  a  good  marksman  made  a  poor  shot, 
he  attributed  his  poor  luck  to  witchcraft,  and  applied  the  remedy  :  shooting 
a  silver  ball  from  his  gun.  The  winter  following  the  doctor's  death,  Jacob 
Sechrist  and  a  Mr.  Messner,  while  hunting  deer,  discovered  the  trail  of  a 
panther,  and  presuming  that  they  had  found  the  track  of  the  brute  that  had 
killed  their  friend,  Dr.  Reinwalt,  they  vowed  vengeance.  Returning  home 
for  provisions,  the  next  morning,  with  their  witch-proof  rifles,  they  took  the 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  13! 

trail,  and  camping  on  the  track  when  night  overtook  them,  on  the  fourth  day 
they  killed  the  panther,  on  the  mountain  east  of  the  Loyalsock  Creek,  in  Sul- 
livan county,  Pa.,  near  Hillsgrove.  They  found  ball  in  shoulder,  probably 
from  the  doctor's  gun." — Cleveland,  1901. 

McKean  Co. — The  last  one  killed  was  by  Eastman  and  Smith,  about  1858 
or  '59. — Dickeson. 

Mifflin  Co. — "About  45  years  ago  [1854?]  one  was  killed  in  the  Seven 
Mountains  near  Milroy.  I  saw  the  stuffed  skin  shortly  after." — Rothrock' 
1900. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "A  panther,  I  am  assured  by  Mr.  Eilenberger,  has 
not  been  killed  in  Pike  Co.  for  30  years,  all  reports  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing."— Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1894,  p.  393.  In  October,  1873, 
two  were  seen  in  Pike  Co. — Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  i,  p.  141. 

Northampton  Co. — In  1827  a  panther  was  killed  17  miles  from  Easton. — 
See  Watson's  Annals,  1830. 

Potter  Co. — "  I  have  not  heard  or  seen  a  panther  in  4  or  5  years." — N.  P. 
Francis,  Potter  Co.,  1893.  All  gone  in  Potter  Co.  Last  killed  many  years 
ago.  I  know  of  only  i  killed  in  this  Co.,  viz.,  in  1841  by  Henry  Hurlburt. — 
Austin,  1901. 

Sullivan  Co. — "  Now  rare.  The  county  treasurer's  report  for  1834  showed 
$300  paid  for  wolf  and  panther  scalps  "  that  year. — R.  C.  Taylor,  Loudon's 
Mag.  N.  Hist.,  1835,  vol.  8,  pp.  536  to  539.  "  My  father  killed  the  last  one 
in  this  region  certainly  known  to  me  between  the  years  1855  and  1860." — 
Bennett.  "About  1873  I  heard  of  one  being  killed  in  Sullivan  Co.  W.  B. 
Lyon  of  Tioga  Co.  saw  one  the  same  year." — Cleveland.  "  One  was  killed 
in  Sullivan  Co.  near  the  Luzerne  line  about  3  years  ago  [1857]. — Pearce, 
Annals  Luzerne  Co.,  1860,  p.  490. 

Susquehanna  Co. — Last  one  killed  in  the  Co.  by  a  Mr.  Orin,  near  Clifford, 
in  1874. — Stevens.  "I  remounted  a  specimen  shot  by  Samuel  E.  Brush  of 
Susquehanna,  Susq.  Co.,  in  1856.  It  was  shot  in  the  same  Co.,  and  was  re- 
mounted for  the  Chicago  World's  Fair,  Penna.  exhibit.  It  measured  7  ft. 
9  in.  in  length,  was  30  inches  high  at  shoulders,  and  weighed  147  Ibs.  when 
shot.  It  was  a  rare  species  when  captured.  Now  it  is  wholly  extinct  in  the 
Co." — Friant,  1901.  Mr.  Friant  tells  me  that  Dr.  B.  H.  Warren  and  himself 
persuaded  Mr.  Brush  to  give  the  specimen  to  State  College,  Bellefonte,  Pa., 
for  sake  of  its  preservation.  It  is  now  there.  The  skull  is  in  the  specimen, 
and  the  mouth  is  open  so  that  its  dental  characters  may  be  determined.  The 
skin  is  in  fair  condition,  and  not  bleached  by  exposure  and  age. 

Tioga  Co. — "About  the  year  1840,  Jacob  Seachrist  with  his  nephew,  John 
Seachrist,  who  was  then  a  boy,  were  hunting  stray  cattle  on  Briar  Hill  in  Lib- 
erty Twp.  They  had  three  dogs  with  them.  The  dogs  got  after  a  panther, 
and  drove  it  up  a  tree.  Jacob  shot  the  panther,  but  before  it  died  it  killed 


132  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

one  of  the  dogs,  and  seriously  wounded  another." — Cleveland,  1901.  "In 
relation  to  the  panther  seen  by  W.  R.  Lyon,  Esq.,  late  of  Ward,  Tioga  Co., 
Pa.,  Mr.  Lyon  was  a  hunter  of  large  experience  and  a  man  of  truth  and 
veracity.  I  got  the  date  from  his  son,  S.  W.  Lyon,  a  merchant  of  Canton, 
Pa.  In  the  winter  of  1864  Mr.  Lyon  was  returning  home  from  Fall  Brook,  a 
distance  of  four  miles  through  the  woods,  when  he  discovered  an  animal 
moving  leisurely  up  a  ravine  toward  the  highway.  When  it  reached  the  bridge 
that  spanned  the  gulf,  it  hesitated  to  cross  the  road,  but  when  it  saw  Mr. 
Lyon,  who  was  standing  about  thirty  yards  from  the  bridge,  it  retreated  with 
srjeed  across  the  ravine.  Mr.  Lyon  told  me  that  the  panther  was  in  plain 
sight  for  several  minutes ;  that  he  examined  the  tracks  made  in  the  snow,  and 
that  he  was  positive  that  it  was  a  panther." — Cleveland,  1901. 

Wyoming  Co. — "  My  father  killed  the  last  one,  before  my  time." — Rob- 
inson. 

York  Co. — One  was  killed  at  Shrewsbury  in  1729.  See  Watson's  Annals, 
1830,  under  "  Game." 

Records  in  N.J. — So  far  as  can  be  ascertained  by  meagre  and  unsatisfac- 
tory returns  from  my  correspondents,  the  last  N.  J.  panther  was  destroyed 
about  the  third  or  fourth  decade  of  the  igth  century  (1830  to  1840).  It  is 
probable  that  the  last  specimens  lingered  in  the  swamps  of  Cape  May,  Ocean 
and  Atlantic  Cos.  The  only  other  part  of  the  state  where  they  may  have 
lingered  so  late  would  be  Warren  and  Sussex  Cos.,  along  the  upper  Delaware 
Valley,  opposite  Pike  Co.,  Pa. — Rhoads. 

Burlington  Co. — In  1748,  an  Indian  killed  a  panther,  which  had  just  struck 
down  a  buck  deer,  near  Crosswicks. — See  Smith's  Hist,  of  N.  J.,  ed.  1879, 

P.  503. 

Camden  Co. — See  quotations  beyond  from  county  treasurer  records  of 
Ebenezer  Hopkins,  under  article  on  the  gray  wolf. — Rhoads. 

Cape  May  Co. — "  Though  it  is  impossible  to  get  instance  or  records,  the 
concurrent  testimony  in  Cape  May  Co.  among  old  hunters  proves  that  pan- 
thers were  often  found  there  50  or  60  years  ago.  My  grandmother  remem- 
bers one  being  killed  in  this  Co.  about  70  years  ago." — Hand,  1900. 

Mercer  Co. — The  bones  of  panthers  are  found  in  Indian  refuse  heaps  in 
the  vicinity  of  Trenton. — Abbott,  1900. 

"  West  Jersey." — The  General  Assembly  of  West  Jersey  convened  at  Bur- 
lington, Nov.  4,  1697,  enacted  a  bounty  law  for  the  extermination  of  wolves 
and  panthers  on  the  following  grounds  :  "  It  being  seen  by  daily  and  detri- 
mental experience  that  the  wolves  are  very  destructive  to  the  cattle  and  crea- 
tures of  the  inhabitants  of  this  Province,  and  it  being  represented  that  the 
panthers  are  also  great  destroyers  of  stock,"  etc.  The  bounty  to  "  whatsoever 
Christian  shall  kill  and  bring  the  head  of  a  wolf  of  prey  or  panther  to  any 
magistrate  of  any  county  of  this  Province  "  was  20  shillings.  Negroes  and 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  133 

Indians  only  received  half  this  sum.  A  non-preying  young  wolf  or  panther 
was  only  worth  half  as  much  bounty  as  an  adult. — Lee. 

After  the  "  Union  of  East  and  West  Jersey,"  in  1702,  the  legislature  passed 
a  law  (1709)  for  the  destruction  of  these  animals.  In  1730,  the  bounty  on 
wolves  was  made  20  shillings  and  on  panthers  15  shillings,  whelps  5  shillings. 
This  was  soon  increased  to  60  shillings  for  adult  wolves  and  10  shillings  for 
whelps.  The  panther  nuisance  had  undoubtedly  greatly  abated  by  that  date- 
—Lee. 

Habits,  etc. — The  following  may  be  given  as  an  epitome  of  the  habits  of  an 
animal  never  understood  by  the  masses  and  concerning  which  so  much  has 
been  published  of  a  fictitious  character.  The  recent  account  of  the  Cougars 
of  Colorado,  published  in  "  Scribner's  Magazine"  (1901),  by  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  is  one  of  the  best  from  the  standpoint  of  the  hunter,  and  in  some 
respects,  from  that  of  the  naturalist.  He,  however,  minimizes  too  greatly  the 
ferocity  of  the  beast  on  certain  occasions,  and  seems  to  be  unduly  skeptical 
as  to  their  making  an  occasional  unprovoked  attack  on  man  and  their  habit 
of  leaping  from  trees,  rocks,  logs  or  other  vantage-points  where  they  have  laid 
in  wait  for  game.  These  habits  of  the  animal  have  been  testified  of  by  ob- 
servers whose  competent  judgment,  experience  and  veracity  are  as  much  to 
be  relied  upon  as  that  of  those  who  in  these  latter  days  are  so  ready  to  dis- 
prove the  statements  of  their  ancestors  in  the  chase,  the  laboratory  and  the 
field  of  literature. 

The  character  of  the  cougar  is  eminently  cowardly,  sneaking,  thievish,  but 
often  courageous  when  with  young.  When  starved,  it  is  emboldened  to  fol- 
low and  (very  rarely)  attack  a  man.  It  may  be  fenced  off  when  wounded  by 
the  courageous  use  of  a  stick  or  gun  barrel,  but  sometimes  leaps  upon  its 
assailant.  It  never  seems  to  realize  its  power  of  offense  or  defense,  and  a 
well-trained  cur  will  inspire  it  with  terror  and  quickly  tree  it. 

It  hunts  by  lying  in  wait,  prowling  and  stalking.  The  larger  game,  as  deer, 
are  approached  until  within  15  or  20  yards  and  then  overtaken  by  a  succes- 
sion of  quick  bounds,  sometimes  clearing  20  to  30  feet  at  a  leap,  springing  on 
the  back,  clasping  the  neck  and  shoulders,  and  biting  the  neck  until  the  ani- 
mal falls.  Smaller  animals  are  struck  down  by  the  paw  and  throttled.  It 
drags  its  prey  when  unable  to  carry  it  clear  of  the  ground  in  its  mouth,  hiding 
it  after  the  first  meal  and  returning  nightly  to  it  for  food.  Sometimes,  when 
game  is  plenty,  they  kill  and  suck  the  blood  of  several  without  eating  the 
carcass.  Their  favorite  food  is  the  deer,  but  they  kill  heifers,  colts,  calves, 
sheep,  hogs,  larger  game,  birds,  fish,  porcupines,  skunks,  opossums,  in  fact 
any  animal  large  enough  to  claim  attention.  Their  favorite  haunts  are  in 
mountains  where  rock  caverns  and  ledges  abound,  but  all  primeval  situations 
afford  them  the  requirements  of  a  habitat.  They  do  not  hibernate.  The 
young,  born  in  March,  are  laid  in  a  bed  of  leaves  in  a  cavern  or  hollow  log, 


134  MAMMALS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA  AND  NEW  JERSEY. 

and  generally  number  2,  often  3,  rarely  4.  The  male  and  female  do  not  asso- 
ciate after  the  birth  of  the  young,  but  often  hunt  together  before  that  season, 
assisting  each  other  in  the  destruction  of  large  game.  When  engrossed  in 
catching  deer,  or  in  the  excitement  of  killing  or  first  eating  their  victim,  their 
innate  fear  of  man  vanishes.  Godman  relates  how  a  pair  in  Centre  Co.,  Pa., 
pursued  a  wounded  buck  before  the  hunter  could  overtake  it  and  were  killing 
it  when  the  hunter  arrived  on  the  scene.  Though  he  shot  and  killed  the 
female,  the  male  continued  to  throttle  the  deer  and  was  shot  3  times  in  fatal 
parts  of  the  body  while  facing  the  hunter  on  the  same  spot ;  the  buck  mean- 
while, having  stumbled  over  it,  regained  its  feet  and  ran  off.  When  chased  by 
dogs,  they  sometimes  leap  directly  from  the  ground  to  the  lower  branches  of 
a  tree  and  thus  ascend,  but  if  forced  to  climb  a  tree  whose  limbs  are  out 
of  leaping  reach,  they  go  up  the  trunk  precisely  as  does  a  cat,  by  short,  cling- 
ing jumps.  The  voice  of  the  male  panther,  so  far  as  I  have  observed  it  in  the 
Philadelphia  Zoological  Garden,  is  capable  of  most  of  the  gradations  and  tones 
of  the  domestic  cat,  and  has  a  great  similarity  thereto  in  purring,  mewing, 
caterwauling  and  spitting  notes.  Multiply  cat-calls  by  ten  and  you  get  the 
kind  of  noises  that  have  done  more  than  anything  else  to  give  the  "American 
Lion  "  its  reputation  for  qualities  which  it  does  not  possess.  Roosevelt  says 
that  the  sounds  made  by  those  hunted  by  him  were  low  growls  and  snarls 
with,  rarely,  a  thunderous  growl.  They  make  no  sounds  which  could  be 
compared  with  the  roaring  of  lions,  that  we  have  account  of. 

Description  of  species. — Until  recently,  all  of  the  animals  in  America  styled 
"  Pumas,  Cougars,  Panthers  and  Mountain  Lions,"  were  classed  by  naturalists 
under  one  scientific  name,  Felis  concolor.  As  this  binomial  was  given  by 
Linnaeus  to  a  Brazilian  specimen,  and  North  American  specimens  had  proved 
to  differ  from  those  of  South  America  in  some  degree,  the  modern  naturalist 
became  restive.  Only  the  lack  of  material  for  comparisons  and  the  tedious 
searching  in  the  dusty  tomes  of  nomenclature,  characteristic  of  the  priority- 
hunting  of  to-day,  had  deterred  the  hair-splitters  from  putting  forth  a  few 
more  old  and  familiar  cougars  in  the  role  of  new  species  and  subspecies. 
Some  of  these,  alas,  must  receive  old  discarded  names  long  languishing  on 
the  perennial  bosom  of  synonymy  ! 

Dr.  Merriam  had  already  described,  ere  his  "Revision  of  the  Pumas" 
(Proc.  Washn.  Acad.  Sciences,  1901)  came  forth,  a  species,  F.  hippolestes, 
from  Wyoming,  and  a  race  F.  h.  olympus,  from  the  Pacific  coast.  These  he 
has  retained,  and  has  adopted  couguar  of  Kerr  as  a  separate  species  from 
the  Rocky  Mountain  hippolestes.  With  the  latter  determination  I  must  at 
present  differ,  as  he  has  given  no  evidence  that  there  is  any  specific  difference 
between  the  Alleghenian  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  animals.  Owing  to  his 
having  a  fine  series  of  skulls  and  skin-data  of  the  latter  and  only  two  unsexed 
skulls  of  the  former,  he  can  present  no  absolute  proof  that  his  hypothesis  of 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW    JERSEY.  135 

the  larger  relative  size  of  hippolestes  skulls  is  correct.  But  even  if  this  is  the 
state  of  the  case,  size  alone,  without  dental  and  cranial  differences,  such  as 
separate  species  in  other  of  the  Felida,  does  not  warrant  the  continuance  of 
hippolestes  as  a  species.  As  Dr.  Merriam  has  not  indicated  such  departures 
in  the  skulls  he  examined,  it  is  not  likely  they  exist  or  that  he  would  have 
overlooked  them.  On  the  same  basis,  I  am  unable  to  note  that  he  has  made 
a  good  specific  case  for  any  one  of  the  North  American  forms  named  in  his 
paper.  Therefore,  as  F.  couguar  is  by  priority  to  be  made  the  type  of  the  North 
American  puma  group  included  in  his  Revision,  and  as  all  the  members  of 
that  group  are  (or  were  in  the  last  50  years)  geographically  connected  by  a 
continuous  distribution  in  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  it  behooves  us,  until 
a  more  satisfactory  series  of  specimens  be  studied,  that  the  nomenclature  of 
'  these  races  should  stand  as  I  have  placed  them  in  the  early  part  of  this  article. 

The  following  are  the  characters  given  by  Merriam  for  Adirondack  speci- 
mens :  "  Size  medium,  head  (apparently)  disproportionately  small  for  size 
of  body ;  color,  dull  fulvous ;  skull,  smallest  of  the  known  species.  Color  : 
*  Body  and  legs  of  a  uniform  fulvous  or  tawny  hue.  Ears  light  colored  within, 
blackish  behind.  Belly  pale  reddish,  or  reddish-white.  Face  sometimes  with 
a  uniform  lighter  tint  than  the  general  hue  of  the  body.' — De  Kay.  Skull 
smaller  and  less  massive  than  in  any  other  North  American  species ;  nasals 
broader  and  blunter  posteriorly  than  in  hippolestes  and  aztecus,  but  very  much 
smaller  and  narrower  than  in  coryi  from  Florida ;  bullae  smaller ;  basioccipital 
broader,  teeth  smaller  and  more  slender,  particularly  the  large  upper  pre- 
molars  (carnassial  and  pm  ^.)."  It  is  probable  on  zoo-geographical  grounds 
that  not  only  do  the  Adirondack  cougars  average  smaller  than  typical  Pa. 
specimens,  but  that  if  a  series  of  the  latter,  showing  by  their  sagittaal  crest 
development  the  great  age  of  animal  from  which  the  skull  was  taken  (as  was 
the  case  with  some  of  the  Roosevelt  series  of  hippolestes},  were  compared 
with  hippolestes,  the  differences,  which  Merriam  qualifies  by  the  term  "ap- 
parently," would  largely  fall  to  the  ground. 

I  have  written  without  success  to  obtain  a  description  of  the  Pa.  panther  in 
State  College  museum.  Its  body  measurements  have  been  already  given  as 
taken  from  the  stuffed  specimen.  The  lengths  of  Pa.  cougars  usually  given 
in  historic  accounts  are  generally  overestimated,  often  grossly  so.  It  will  be 
found,  however,  on  comparing  the  more  reliable  accounts  of  the  size  of 
United  States  cougars  that  the  differences,  while  favoring  the  usual  rule  of 
greatest  size  in  north  temperate  latitudes,  diminishing  toward  the  Gulf  and 
Mexico,  are  not  great,  and  that  some  of  the  largest  panthers  ever  taken  have 
been  killed  in  Pennsylvania  and  Louisiana  (Red  River,  See  Doughty's  Cab- 
inet, N.  Hist.,  vol.  2).  In  the  Roosevelt  series  from  Colorado  the  average 
total  length  of  3  males  and  3  females,  all  adult,  was  7  feet  2  inches,  the  largest 
male  being  8  feet  long,  the  largest  female  7  feet  long.  This  large  male  was 
fat  and  weighed  227  pounds. 


136  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND  NEW   JERSEY. 

Genus  Lynx  Kerr,  Animal  Kingdom,  1792,  vol.  i.     Systematic  catalog,  in- 
serted between  pp.  32  &  33 ;  description  on  p.  157. 

East  Canadian  Lynx.     Lynx  canadensis  Kerr. 

1792.  Lynx  canadensis  Kerr,  Animal  Kingdom,  same  reference  as  above 
for  genus. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution. —  Canadian,  Hudsonian  and  Arctic  zones;  Atlantic 
Ocean  to  Rocky  Mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Always  a  rare  species  in  even  the  most 
boreal  parts  of  Pa.  I  have  no  certain  record  from  northern  N.  J.,  but  it 
probably  straggled  occasionally  in  former  times  into  the  most  northern  coun- 
ties. It  is  now  practically  exterminated  within  our  entire  limits.  In  the 
higher  Alleghanies  it  once  reached  the  southern  border  of  Pa. 

Records  in  Pa. —  Cameron  Co. — "  Mr.  Larrabee,  who  recognized  the  specific 
distinction  between  [wild  cat  and  lynx]  told  me  [in  1896]  that  he  knew  cer- 
tainly of  the  capture  of  one  in  Cameron  or  Potter  Co.  within  16  years." — 
Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N.  S.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  222. 

Columbia  Co. — "I  killed  one  50  years  ago  [1849]  m  Columbia  Co. 
Know  of  none  since." — Buckalew,  1899. 

Forest  Co. — "It  is  50  years  since  I  saw  one." — Haslet,  1900. 

Lackawanna  Co. — I  have  examined  a  specimen  of  lynx  in  the  private  col- 
lection of  E.  VV.  Campbell,  West  Pittston,  Pa.  This  specimen  is  a  male  in 
the  summer  coat.  The  size  is  not  great  but  the  teeth  indicate  an  adult  in 
early  prime.  The  ears  are  tipped  with  stiff,  bristling,  black  hairs  or  tufts 
about  \y2  inches  long,  their  points  being  considerably  worn.  The  tail  is 
short,  and  the  feet  relatively  large  as  in  Canada  lynx  as  contrasted  with  bay 
lynx.  The  color  is  a  dull  reddish  gray,  unspotted  above,  and  a  conspicuous 
ruff  surrounds  the  sides  of  neck.  The  lynx  was  killed,  so  I  am  informed  by 
Mr.  Campbell,  in  late  September,  1881,  by  Jesse  Weaver  in  a  timber  tract 
where  he  was  chopping,  in  the  mountains  near  the  Welch  Settlement,  Spring 
Brook  township.  The  lynx  was  discovered  lying  on  a  tree  limb  and  shot. 
Another  specimen  of  half  grown  lynx  in  Mr.  Campbell's  collection,  taken 
later  at  Ash  Gap,  Lehigh  River,  by  C.  Donnelly  and  in  winter  fur,  is  of  such 
a  light  gray  spotless  color  that  there  is  a  probability  that  it  is  a  L.  canadensis. 
It  has  ear  tufts  almost  as  large  as  in  adult  L.  ruffus.  The  following  measure- 
ments, among  many  others  taken  from  this  mounted  specimen  and  kindly 
furnished  by  Mr.  Campbell,  indicate  it  to  be  a  lynx  and  not  a  wild  cat : 
Total  length,  3  ft.  4  in. ;  tail  vertebae,  4^2  in. ;  ear  pencil,  above  ear  tip,  i^ 
in. ;  hind  foot  from  end  of  longest  toe  to  heel,  measured  along  sole,  8^  in. ; 
width  of  hind  foot  pads,  3^  in.,  length,  4^  ;  front  foot,  3^x3  in. 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  137 

Lycoming  Co.— One  was  killed  near  Roaring  Branch  in  1896. — Babcock. 

McKean  Co. — "  The  following  circumstantial  account  of  the  capture  of  a 
lynx  by  an  old  Pa.  hunter  of  long  experience  should  remove  any  doubts  as  to 
the  former  existence  of  L.  canadensis  in  Pa. : 

JAMESTOWN,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  jo,  1899. 
SAMUEL  N.  RHOAJDS,  ESQ. 

Dear  Sir :  I  notice  [in  a  local  newspaper]  an  article  inviting  any  person 
having  knowledge  of  certain  animals  found  in  Pennsylvania  subject  to  extinc- 
tion to  give  a  brief  account  of  same.  I  had  a  camp  on  Kinzua  Creek,  Mc- 
Kean Co.,  Pa.,  where  my  partner  and  I  spent  twelve  falls  hunting  and  trap- 
ping, from  1855  to  1867.  In  Dec.,  1867,  I  killed  a  deer  and  hung  the  fore 
quarters  up  on  a  tree  as  high  as  I  could  reach,  taking  the  saddle  into  camp. 
The  next  evening  but  one  I  came  that  way  and  found  that  some  animal  of 
the  cat  kind  had  come  within  about  10  feet  of  the  tree  and  sprung  upon  the 
meat ;  had  made  a  meal  and  jumped  back  into  and  followed  away  on  the 
same  tracks  by  which  it  came.  *  *  *  Next  morning  I  went  back  and  set  a 
trap  in  the  place  where  he  left  the  ground  to  make  his  spring.  The  third 
morning  after  I  found  my  trap  and  clog  gone  and  following  up  the  trail  found 
him  up  a  hemlock  tree  about  30  feet  from  the  ground,  trap  and  all.  The 
chain  was  wound  around  a  large  limb  twice,  and  he  hanging  by  one  fore  leg 
caught  in  the  trap,  dead,  frozen  stiff.  I  went  back  to  camp,  got  an  axe  and 
cut  the  tree  down  to  secure  trap  and  game.  I  found  a  nice  specimen  of 
Canadian  Lynx,  weighing  about  40  Ibs.  I  judged  so  by  hefting  and  compar- 
ing him  with  my  still-hunting  dog  whose  weight  I  knew.  I  took  his  pelt  off 
and  sold  it  with  my  other  hides,  not  realizing  that  it  was  of  any  particular 
value  as  a  specimen.  It  was  considerably  taller  on  legs  than  a  wildcat,  longei 
body,  of  a  light  gray,  tail  6  to  8  inches  in  length,  and  the  funniest  thing  about 
it  was  its  ears,  which  had  stiff  black  hairs  coming  out  from  the  inside  of  the 
ear,  and  growing  up  and  coming  to  a  point  at  the  end  of  the  ears,  then  twist- 
ing around  like  an  old-fashioned  horse-hair  fish  line  for  about  ^  of  an  inch. 
Right  atop  of  this  was  formed  a  round  ball  of  the  black  hair  about  as  big  as 
a  blue  plum,  so  that  when  you  held  the  head  up  and  shook  it  a  little,  the 
little  bells  on  top  of  the  ears  would  jump  around  in  all  shapes.  Another 
hunter  that  lives  in  that  vicinity  by  the  name  of  Aaron  Parmeter,  post  office 
address  Kinzua,  Warren  Co.,  Pa.,  killed  one  about  the  same  date  while  he 
was  watching  for  deer  at  a  salt  lick  one  evening.  I  have  not  hunted  any  in 
Pa.  for  the  past  25  years,  but  I  think  that  they  still  exist  in  N.  W.  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  that  a  specimen  can  be  had  even  now.  *  *  * 

"  Respectfully  yours,  THOS.  J.  FENTON." 

"  The  Lynx  was  never  plenty  in  northwestern  Pennsylvania.     My  father, 


138  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

Edward  Dickinson,  caught  two  in  Norwich  township  on  the  west  branch  of 
Potato  Creek.  One  in  1842  or  '43,  and  one  in  1851  or  '52.  My  father  and 
I  caught  one  in  Nov..  1867.  This  one  was  an  old  torn  cat  and  showed  all 
signs  of  old  age.  This  one  is  the  last  genuine  lynx  that  I  know  of  being 
caught  in  McKean  Co.  We  have  a  cat  here  yet  that  is  called  a  lynx,  because 
of  its  size  and  color.  Some  of  them  will  weigh  as  high  as  forty-four  pounds. 
But  they  are  a  darker  gray  than  the  lynx.  I  believe  they  are  a  cross  between 
the  lynx  and  the  common  wildcat.  A  large  wildcat  will  weigh  from  twenty- 
iour  to  thirty  pounds." — Dickinson,  1901. 

"  I  have  not  seen  a  specimen  of  lynx  in  30  years.  It  used  to  range  over 
this  region  in  the  head  waters  of  the  Susquehanna  and  Allegheny  Rivers." — 
Dickeson,  1900. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "  Many  residents  near  Porter's  Lake  assured  me 
that  this  species  is  occasionally  trapped  in  that  vicinity.  The  occurrence  of 
the  Canadian  lynx  in  these  parts  is  not  attested  by  any  reliable  records  known 
to  me." — Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1894,  p.  393. 

Potter  Co. — Occasionally  a  lynx  is  brought  to  me  for  bounty ;  huge  fore 
legs,  gray. — Austin,  1900. 

Somerset  Co. — The  following  letter  answering  more  careful  inquiry  regard- 
ing his  previous  report  of  having  once  had  a  specimen  of  Somerset  Co. 
Canada  lynx,  is  of  interest : 

NEW  LEXINGTON,  Pa.,  Dec.  31,  1900. 
MR.  S.  N.  RHOADS,  Phila.,  Pa. 

Dear  Sir :  Yours  of  the  i  yth  duly  reed.  In  regard  to  the  Canada  Lynx 
which  I  reported  in  the  circular,  I  bought  the  skin  from  D.  C.  Barclay  and 
had  it  tanned  at  our  tannery  here  and  then  made  into  a  pair  of  long  driving 
gloves.  Mr.  Barclay  called  it  a  lynx.  It  had  tufted  ears,  heavy  legs  and  a 
tail  6  or  8  inches  long.  It  had  an  even  [unspotted]  color  which  from  my 
recollection  was  a  light  gray  bordering  yellowish.  I  have  seen  wildcats  both 
alive  and  dead  and  their  color  is  of  a  much  darker  gray  than  this  was.  And 
I  never  saw  a  wildcat  skin  (bark  tanned,  which  shrinks  them  very  much) 
large  enough  to  make  a  pair  of  gauntlet  gloves  such  as  these  were.  I  have 
seen  Mr.  Barclay  since  receiving  your  letter ;  he  says  "  the  animal  positively, 
was  no  wildcat.  If  it  was  not  a  Canada  Lynx,  then  he  could  not  name  it." 
I  have  the  engineer's  level  at  the  base  of  the  mountain  which  is  1837  ft.  above 
sea  level.  The  animal  was  trapped  about  300  ft.  above  this  point,  or  2137  ft. 
above  sea  level. 

Mr.  Joseph  King,  an  old  man  who  hunts  occasionally,  told  me  to-day  that 
he  believes  there  is  another  one  in  the  mountain,  as  he  has  occasionally  seen, 
during  the  last  several  winters,  tracks  which  are  much  larger  than  a  wildcat 
track.  I  am  very  sorry  I  cannot  find  a  piece  of  my  old  gloves.  My  wife 
thinks  I  gave  them  away  after  I  had  worn  much  of  the  fur  off. 

"  I  am,  yours  truly,  H.  D.  MOORE." 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  139 

Sullivan  Co. — Three  or  four  shot  here  [country  between  Loyalsock  and 
Pine  Creeks,  Sullivan,  Lycoming  and  Tioga  Cos]  in  fall  [1834] — length  4  ft.'r 
As  distinguished  from  wild  cat — "  3  feet,  spotted." — Taylor,  Loudon's  Magaz» 
N.  Hist.,  1835,  vol.  8,  pp.  536  to  539.  Not  known  at  Eaglesmere. — Ben- 
nett, 1896.  They  say  one  was  killed  near  Lopez  25  or  30  years  ago  (1871  to 
1876).— Behr. 

Tioga  Co. — "  A  description  of  the  Canada  Lynx  would  fit  the  lynx  that  I 
killed  in  Pennsylvania  years  ago,  except  that  the  Canada  Lynx  is  perhaps  y^ 
larger.  I  have  seen  the  Canada  lynx  in  Minnesota  and  northern  Michigan. 
I  was  called  professionally  to  see  a  lady  by  the  name  of  Mclntosh  in  Mc- 
Intosh  Hollow  on  the  Tioga  River  in  Ward  Township  about  the  time  of  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion.  The  boys  came  from  the  woods  with  a  load  while  I 
was  there  and  reported  a  deer  killed  in  their  '  sugar-bush '  by  a  panther.  The 
snow  was  a  foot  or  more  deep.  I  procured  a  steel  trap,  and  found  on  ex- 
amination, when  I  reached  the  woods,  that  a  deer  had  been  killed  the  night 
before  by  what  I  supposed  to  be  a  large  wild-cat,  or  catamount,  as  the  larger 
species  of  cats  were  called.  The  animal  had  got  on  the  body  of  a  fallen 
hemlock  turned  up  by  its  roots,  walked  its  whole  length,  and  climbed  on  to 
its  roots,  about  eight  feet  from  the  ground.  The  deer,  a  medium-sized  doe,, 
had  been  feeding  near.  The  struggle  was  a  fearful  one,  judging  from  the 
blood  and  area  of  snow  tramped  down.  I  set  the  trap  by  the  carcass  of  the 
dead  deer.  The  next  day,  when  I  visited  my  patient,  I  went  to  look  at  the 
trap,  and  found  it  gone,  with  its  heavy  drag.  Followed  half  a  mile  toward  a 
large  swamp,  and  found  trap  fast  to  a  lynx,  shot  it,  had  the  skin  dressed  and 
made  into  a  collar  that  I  wore  several  winters." — Cleveland,  1901. 

Wayne  Co. — Specimens  have  been  taken  in  the  northern  part  of  this  Co. 
within  7  years. — Stevens,  1899.  Very  rare  in  Wayne  Co. — Goodnough,  1900. 

Over  the  State. — During  the  past  5  years  I  have  made  very  careful  inquiries 
in  all  sections  where  the  Canada  Lynx  was  reported  to  be  present,  but  as  yet 
have  not  been  able  to  discover  a  true  example.  There  are,  however,  it  is 
said,  two  or  three  well  authenticated  instances  where  the  Canada  Lynx  has 
been  taken  in  Pennsylvania  within  the  last  25  years. — Warren,  Poultry  Book, 
1897,  p.  441- 

Records  in  N.  J. — None  have  been  received  nor  probably  ever  will  be  at 
this  date,  owing  to  the  length  of  time  since  they  were  exterminated  and  the 
confusion  existing  in  the  minds  of  hunters  as  to  their  identity.  That  they 
once  existed  as  stragglers  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state  is  true  beyond  all 
reasonable  doubt. — Rhoads.  Kalm  states  that  the  Swedes  of  N.  Jersey 
recognized  the  lynx  as  distinct  from  the  wild  cat.  One  was  called  the 
"  Warglo  "  or  wolf-lynx,  the  other  "  Kattlo  "  or  cat-lynx.  The  former  had 
been  known  to  kill  "  stags." — See  Kalm's  Travels.  These  remarks  of  Kalm 
refer  rather  indefinitely  to  N.  J.,  Pa.  and  N.  York. 


I4O  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

Habits,  etc. — So  far  as  appears  from  accounts  of  hunters,  there  is  nothing 
in  the  habits  of  a  lynx  differing  from  those  of  a  wild  cat  except  what  it  ac- 
complishes on  account  of  its  greater  size  and  agility.  Both  these  animals 
appear  much  more  courageous  and  offensive  in  their  encounters  with  men 
and  animals  than  the  cougar  or  panther.  They  will  not  hesitate  to  fasten 
themselves  on  the  necks  of  deer,  trusting  to  bring  them  down  by  sheer  ex- 
haustion and  blood-letting  before  the  deer  can  manage  to  drag  them  off  by 
running  through  brush  or  the  branches  of  thick  trees  or  by  jumping  into 
water.  Mr.  Seth  Nelson  on  one  occasion  was  trout  fishing  at  a  large  pool  in 
the  woods  of  Clinton  Co.  when  a  crashing  through  the  forest  made  him  seize 
his  rifle  in  time  to  shoot  both  a  wild  cat  and  a  doe  which  plunged  into  the 
pool  to  free  itself  of  its  tormentor.  They  have  been  known  to  seriously 
wound  hunters  in  their  own  defense  and  even  to  make  an  unprovoked 
attack.  Wild  cats  are  one  of  the  greatest  scourges  of  the  life  of  the  Pa.  for- 
ests, as  fully  revealed  in  the  accounts  given  by  correspondents  to  Dr.  Warren, 
formerly  Pa.  State  Zoologist,  printed  in  the  book,  Diseases  of  Poultry,  pub- 
lished by  the  Pa.  Dept.  of  Agriculture  in  1897.  Dr.  Warren's  account  of  the 
life,  history  and  economic  status  of  this  animal  is  by  far  the  fullest,  most 
entertaining,  and  based  on  the  largest  amount  of  information  of  any  yet  pub- 
lished. From  this  I  extract  the  following  facts:  "Favorite  haunts:"  For- 
ests, rocky  ledges,  briary  thickets,  slashings  and  bark  peelings  strewn  with 
decaying  logs,  fallen  trees  and  brush  piles,  grown  up  with  rhododendron  (buck 
laurel).  Numbers :  Increasing  in  Elk,  Clearfield,  Forest,  Cameron,  Centre 
and  McKean  Cos.  where  large  districts  have  been  deforested.  Food:  Poul- 
try, ruffed  grouse,  wild  turkeys,  all  other  small  birds,  their  eggs  and  young, 
deer  (especially  fawns),  lambs,  young  pigs,  rabbits,  squirrels,  mice,  porcupine, 
skunk,  opossum,  fish,  frogs.  Breeding:  In  hollow  tree  or  log  in  nest  made 
of  leaves,  moss,  etc.,  some  in  ledges  or  caverns.  Two  to  4  young  born  in 
May — (a  female  containing  3  young  nearly  ready  for  birth  was  sent  me  April 
20,  1897,  by  S.  Nelson. — Rhoads).  Commercial  value:  Small,  bringing 
from  35  to  75  cents  per  pelt.  Bounties:  From  1885  to  1896  a  two  dollar 
scalp  bounty  was  paid  on  wild  cats,  as  per  Warren's  report.  I  believe  no 
bounties  have  since  been  paid. 

Description  of  species. — The  Canada  lynx  can  most  certainly  be  distin- 
guished from  the  bay  lynx  or  wild  cat  by  the  length  of  its  hind  foot,  meaning 
by  this  the  length  from  the  end  of  the  longest  hind  toe  to  the  heel  tip  (gam- 
brel  joint)  measured  along  the  under  side.  Another  distinctive  feature  in 
adults  of  L.  canadensis  is  the  stiff  and  generally  long  ear-tips,  but  as  the  wild 
cat  has  more  or  less  of  a  tip  to  its  ears  this  character  is  somewhat  misleading. 
The  great  size  of  the  feet  and  their  being  thickly  furred  over  the  sole  in 
winter  is  also  a  peculiarity  of  canadensis.  The  grayish,  hoary,  unspotted 
color  of  the  winter  fur  of  the  Canada  lynx  is  quite  in  contrast  to  the  brown- 
ish or  reddish  gray  and  spotted  or  marbled  coat  of  the  bay  lynx. 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY.  14! 

Measurements  (canadensis')  .  —  Total  length,  1000  mm.   (39^    in.);  tail 
vertebrae,  TOO  (4)  ;  hind  foot,  225   (8^)  ;  breadth  of  front  foot  about  80 
;   (™fus)  9<>o  (35^)  ;  170  (6%)  ;  180  (7^)  ;  50  (2). 


Eastern  Bay  Lynx  ;  Wild  Cat.    Lynx  ruffus  (Gueldenstaedt). 

1776.  Felis  ruffus  Gueldenstaedt,  Novi.  Commentarii  Acad.  Scient.  Imp. 
Petropolitanae  (1775),  vol.  20,  p.  484. 

1897.  Lynx  ruffus  Rhoads,  Proceedings  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila.,  p.  32. 

Type  locality.  —  New  York. 

Faunal  distribution.  —  Lower  Canadian,  transition  and  austral  life  zones  ; 
Maine  to  Georgia  ;  west  to,  and  including,  Mississippi  Valley. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J.  —  Formerly  abundant  over  the  entire  territory 
named.  Still  numerous  in  the  Alleghany  region,  and  locally  increasing  in  the 
deforested  wilderness  of  northwestern  Pa.  Exterminated  in  only  13  of  the 
counties  of  Pa.  Occasionally  met  with  in  Mercer,  Warren,  Passaic,  and 
Sussex  Cos.,  N.  J.,  and  supposed  to  linger  in  some  of  the  southeastern  coun- 
ties of  N.  J. 

Records  in  Pa.  —  Comparing  Warren's  statistics  of  bounties  and  reports 
from  nearly  all  the  counties  of  Pa.  with  my  own  long  list  of  answers  from 
about  40  correspondents  in  different  parts  of  the  state  the  result  is  rather  sur- 
prising. By  these  it  appears  that  there  is  only  a  comparatively  small  area 
surrounding  and  north  of  Pittsburg,  and  a  somewhat  larger  area  between  the 
foothills  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains  and  Philadelphia  in  which  the  bay  lynx 
or  wild  cat  has  become  exterminated.  The  counties  wholly  comprised  in 
these  areas  are  Allegheny,  Armstrong,  Beaver,  Butler,  Crawford,  Erie,  Mercer, 
and  Washington,  in  the  west,  and  Bucks,*  Chester,  Delaware,  Montgomery 
and  Philadelphia  in  the  east,  13  in  all.  As  already  stated  above  under  the 
article  on  Canada  lynx,  in  some  of  the  northwestern  counties  the  wild  cat  is 
actually  increasing,  especially  since  the  bounty  was  removed.  When  we 
couple  this  fact  with  the  evidence  that  in  only  one-sixth  of  the  entire  com- 
monwealth has  this  highly  destructive  animal  been  extirpated,  we  get  some 
conception  of  the  wilderness  condition  of  a  great  area  in  the  Keystone  state, 
as  well  as  of  the  peculiar  fitness  of  the  bay  lynx  to  survive  and  thrive  under 
the  altered  conditions  here  imposed  by  man  in  the  last  hundred  years. 

Records  in  N.  J.  —  Northern  part.  —  "  Very  rare  and  probably  will  be  wholly 
extinct  in  a  year  or  two.  In  Mercer,  Middlesex,  Essex,  Hunterdon,  etc.,  they 
have  been  for  some  years  extinct,  and  it  is  merely  a  matter  of  speculation  as 
to  whether  or  not  they  are  found  about  the  Blue  Mountains  [Warren  and 

*  The  last  specimen  in  these  Cos.  of  which  I  find  record  is  one  shot  in  Bucks  Co.  near  the 
Montgomery  Co.  line  in  February,  1860  (Rockhill  township)  .—See  Buck,  Hist.  Montgom. 
Co.,  1884,  p.  436. 


142  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Sussex  Cos.]  and  that  portion  of  the  state." — Abbott,  Geoh  N.  J.,  1868,  p. 

753- 

Southern  part. — "  In  the  southern  counties,  among  the  still  undisturbed 
swamps,  there  are  yet,  no  doubt,  perhaps  two  or  three  living." — Abbott,  ibid. 

Cape  May  Co. — "  Rare." — Beesley,  Geol.  Surv.  N.  J.,  1757,  appx. 

Mercer  Co. — "  Three  killed  in  Bear  Swamp,  near  Lawrence  station,  in  the 
last  12  years.  One  of  these  is  in  the  Princeton  University  Museum.  I  saw 
one  some  time  between  1850  and  '60  [1852]  on  the  Delaware  River  meadows 
between  Trenton  and  Bordentown.  It  may  have  come  down  by  the  river 
freshets." — Abbott,  1900.  "In  1852  a  specimen  came  down  the  Delaware 
during  a  high  freshet — was  taken  near  Trenton,  and  although  apparently  dead 
when  found,  it  revived.  This  may  have  come  from  the  northern  part  of  the 
state,  but  it  is  by  no  means  certain." — Abbott.  Geol.  N.  J.,  1868,  p.  753. 
"One  was  killed  in  Bear  Swamp  i  mile  from  Clarksville  about  1889  or  '91  on 
J.  Yard's  farm  by  J.  Yard.  It  was  shot  in  the  early  part  of  the  fall  gunning 
season,  running  before  the  hounds." — McGuigan.  "A  fellow  named  J.  Toe, 
1 6  years  old,  killed  one  in  Ewen  township  in  the  Bear  Swamp  in  1872." — 
Ray.  "The  wild  cat  you  were  speaking  of  was  shot  in  November,  1891,  by 
a  man  named  Yard.  We  have  no  part  of  the  animal  in  Princeton  Museum. 
It  seems  that  this  cat  was  sold  to  some  students,  who  had  it  stuffed.  Another 
wild  cat  was  shot  near  Clarksville  in  October,  1892,  by  John  French." — Sil- 
vester, 1901.  "  In  November,  1885,  there  was  a  very  large  specimen  shot  in 
the  swamp  three  miles  from  Princeton  (some  of  the  skeleton  is  in  the 
museum  here).  There  was  another  individual  seen  and  shot  at  about  the 
same  time  but  was  not  killed,  nor  seen  since." — Phillips,  1901. 

Ocean  Co. — "  Several  persons  at  different  times  heard  cries  of  an  animal 
believed  to  be  a  wild  cat  in  the  winter  of  1897,  below  Tuckerton,  near  the 
shore." — Price  and  Jillson.  "Some  young  wild  cats  were  said  to  have  been 
found  in  a  hollow  tree  in  Manahawkin  Swamp  when  the  Tuckerton  Railroad 
was  being  built  through  said  swamp  [about  1870]." — Pharo. 

Passaic  and  Sussex  Cos. — Not  yet  exterminated  but  very  rarely  taken. — 
Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  32.  "One  occasionally  killed 
in  Passaic  Co.  Last  one  about  1890." — Nelson,  1900. 

Warren  Co. — "  Six  wild  cats  have  been  killed  during  the  past  five  years 
within  four  miles  of  Blairstown." — Davison,  1902. 

Habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  above  under  Lynx  Canadensis, 
Canada  Lynx. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  143 

Family  CANIDAE  :  Wolves,  Foxes,  Dogs. 

Genus  Urocyon  Baird,  Mammals  of  North  America,  1857,  p.  121. 
Northeastern  Gray  Fox.     Urocyon  cinereoargenteus  (Schreber). 

1775.     Cam's  cinereoargenteus  Schreber,  Saugthiere,  vol.  3,  plate  92. 
1894.     Urocyon  cinereoargenteus  Rhoads,  American  Naturalist,  vol.  28,  p. 

524. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  North  America. 

fauna!  distribution. — Transition  and  austral  zones ;  Atlantic  Ocean  to 
Lake  Michigan  and  the  Great  Plains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  y. — Since  the  deforesting  of  the  Canadian 
zone  in  Pa.  no  county,  nor  perhaps  any  territory  of  considerable  extent  in 
either  state,  is  a  stranger  to  it.  It  was  formerly  almost  unknown  in  many 
parts  of  the  higher  northern  Alleghanies  of  Pa.  It  is  generally  more  abund- 
ant in  the  lowlands,  decreasing,  or  giving  place  to  the  red  fox,  in  the  high- 
lands. 

Records  in  Pa. — Summarizing  the  reports  made  from  all  parts  of  the  state 
to  Dr.  Warren  and  myself,  the  present  status  of  the  gray  fox  in  Pa.  may  thus 
be  stated :  None  seem  to  be  found  in  Chester,  Delaware  and  Montgomery 
Cos.  or  in  Washington  Co.,  in  localities  where  they  would  naturally  be  looked 
for.  The  red  fox  is  the  only  kind  found  in  these  counties.  It  is  possible 
that  these  unnatural  conditions  are  due  to  the  efforts  of  fox  hunting  clubs, 
which  detest  the  gray  fox  and  encourage  the  propagation  of  the  red  species. 
In  the  northern  counties  where  the  climatic  conditions  are  most  Canadian 
the  gray  fox  constitutes  only  five  to  ten  per  cent,  of  the  whole  number  on 
which  bounties  were  formerly  paid.  In  Adams,  Cumberland,  Dauphin,  Lan- 
caster, and  other  counties,  lying  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and 
South  Mountain,  the  grays  begin  to  predominate.  Both  red  and  gray  foxes 
were  noted  as  being  found  by  Taylor  in  Lycoming,  Tioga  and  Sullivan  Cos. 
in  1834,  when  that  country  was  almost  unbroken  wilderness. 

Records  in  N.J. — The  gray  is  the  predominant  form  in  the  greater  part  of 
N.  J.,  being  very  abundant  in  certain  sections  of  the  southern  half.  In  the 
northern  counties  the  reds  and  grays  are  about  equal  in  numbers. 

Habits,  etc. — The  differing  characters  of  the  two  species  of  fox  found  in 
our  limits  may  be  expressed  in  the  words  used  by  Dr.  Warren  :  "  The  red  fox 
is  a  sly,  bold  robber,  but  the  gray  fox  is  a  cowardly,  skulking  sneak  thief." 
The  two  have  their  counterparts  in  the  timber  and  prairie  wolves.  When 
hounded  the  gray  does  not  run  long  distances,  but  seeks  a  thick  cover  and 
dodges  about  it  like  a  rabbit,  soon  taking  to  a  tree  or  hole  in  the  rocks.  In 
climbing,  it  shows  strange  affinity  to  the  cats,  not  only  leaping  from  limb  to 


144  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

limb  in  pursuit  of  prey,  but  ascending  quite  tall  and  limbless  trunks  by  a 
regular  clawing  and  hugging  process,  literally  "shinning  it.1'  They  have  been 
surprised  in  the  top  of  a  tree,  curled  ap  in  the  abandoned  nest  of  a  hawk. 
To  escape  the  hounds  it  sometimes  leaps  on  a  reclining  tree  trunk,  runs  along 
some  of  the  more  distant  branches  and  leaps  as  far  as  it  can  away  from  the 
point  of  attack  to  break  the  scent,  or  it  will  hide  in  the  forks  of  a  big  tree  so 
deftly  as  to  sometimes  nearly  escape  observation. 

The  food  of  both  species  of  eastern  fox  forms  an  important  consideration 
in  their  relations  to  man.  The  concurrent  opinion  of  nine-tenths  of  the 
farmers  and  sportsmen  of  Pa.  who  contributed  to  Dr.  Warren's  economic  re- 
port on  these  animals  heartily  condemn  both  species  as  vermin  in  the  worst 
sense.  With  this  opinion  I  fully  concur.  The  only  argument  brought  up  in 
their  favor  is  their  destruction  of  mice,  moles  and  insects.  As  I  have  pre- 
viously pointed  out  in  treating  the  Muridce  and  as  I  shall  explain  later  in  re- 
gard to  the  Insectivora,  the  destruction  of  mice  and  moles  is  not  necessarily 
a  benefit  to  man,  the  majority  of  the  former  not  being  proved  to  be  noxious, 
especially  the  woodland  species  which  foxes  principally  devour.  Owing  to 
their  subterranean  habits,  the  pine  mouse,  a  truly  noxious  rodent,  is  rarely 
captured,  the  wood  vole  (Evotomys),  meadow  vole  (Microtus)  and  deer 
mouse  (Peromyscus)  being  the  species  forming  the  bulk  of  their  mouse  diet. 
Their  destruction  of  insects,  especially  grasshoppers,  is  no  doubt  beneficial 
but  seems  to  be  only  fortuitous,  one  turkey  or  chicken  probably  eating  as 
many  of  these  in  a  day  as  all  the  foxes  of  a  square  mile  in  the  same  length  of 
time.  When  the  fox  comes  along,  as  he  is  ever  doing,  and  eats  the  turkey, 
methinks  his  value  as  -an  insect-destroyer  suddenly  vanishes. 

The  following  wild  animals  are  also  preyed  on  by  both  species  of  foxes  : 
fawns,  rabbits,  squirrels,  woodchucks,  opossums,  skunks,  porcupine,  muskrats, 
weasels,  all  kinds  of  game  birds,  any  kind  of  small  bird  and  the  eggs  and 
young  of  all  species.  Of  domestic  animals,  young  lambs,  pigs  and  poultry 
form  no  small  share  of  their  diet.  They  also  eat  a  large  variety  of  wild  fruits 
and  nuts  and  have  been  known  to  eat  corn. 

In  summing  up  his  observations  and  data  Dr.  Warren  says :  '•'  Foxes  do 
unquestionably  more  harm  than  good.  The  great  destruction  of  wild  birds  is, 
I  believe,  of  more  loss  to  agricultural  interests  than  the  benefit  such  interests 
receive  from  foxes  catching  destructive  mammals,  grasshoppers  and  other 
forms  of  insect  life.  Foxes  not  only  destroy  all  kinds  of  song  and  insect- 
eating  birds  and  eggs  they  can  get  but  they  consume  game  of  all  kinds — and 
many  game  birds  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  eat  harmful  insects.  Advices 
from  different  parts  of  our  state,  especially  in  some  western  counties,  show 
that  foxes  kill  a  great  many  young  lambs  and  sometimes  destroy  whole  litters 
of  pigs ;  this  means  a  loss  of  money  which  in  the  aggregate  is  considerable 
every  year.  There  is  little  doubt  they  destroy  annually  many  thousands  of 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  145 

'dollars'  worth  of  poultry  in  Pennsylvania.  Gray  foxes  do  less  injury  to  poul- 
try interests  because  there  are  less  of  them  in  our  state,  and,  as  a  rule,  they 
seem  to  prefer  to  stay  in  woods  and  thickets,  away  from  the  habitations  of 
man.  The  gray  fox  seems  to  want  to  keep  away  from  man's  improved  posses- 
sions, his  evil  work  consisting  mainly  in  destroying  beneficial  birds  and  game." 
In  short  —  "  Good  foxes  are  dead  foxes  !" 

Description  of  species.  —  Rather  smaller  and  shorter-legged  than  red  fox. 
Not  subject  to  mealanism  (black  phase)  as  in  the  red  species.  Back  a 
coarse  grizzle  of  black  and  white  ;  belly  tawny  ;  cheeks  and  throat  whitish  ; 
ears,  sides  of  neck  and  legs  reddish-yellow  ;  a  black  line  along  upper  side  of 
tail. 

Measurements.  —  Total  length,  900  mm.  (35^  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  260 
;  hind  foot,  125  (5). 


Genus  Vulpes  Richardson,  Fauna  Boreali  Americana,  1829,  vol.  i,  p.  83. 

Southeastern  Red  Fox.      Vulpes  fulvus  (Desmarest). 

1820.   Cants  fulvus  Desmarest,  Mammalogie,  vol.  i,  p.  203. 

1842.   Vulpes  fulvus  De  Kay,  Zoology  of  New  York,  Mammalia,  p.  44. 

Type  locality.  —  Virginia. 

Fauna!  distribution.  —  Canadian,  transition  and  upper  austral  zones,  south- 
ern Maine  to  Minnesota  (Great  Plains),  south  in  mountains  to  N.  Carolina, 
and  in  lowlands  encroaching  into  western  Tennessee  and  eastern  Virginia  ; 
merging  in  Nova  Scotia  into  V.  fulvus  rubricosa  (Bangs)  of  which  V.  rubri- 
cosa  bangsi  of  Merriam,  from  Labrador  (based  on  a  young  female  !)  appears 
to  be  a  synonym,  and  V.  deletrix  Bangs  of  Newfoundland  would  form  another 
subspecies,  did  not  the  arbitrary  law  of  insular  isolation  overbalance  the 
physiological  law  of  conspecific  affinity.  These  rulings,  of  course,  are  subject 
to  the  query  discussed  beyond,  of  the  origin  of  Desmarest's  type  of  fulvus. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.  —  Nowhere  wholly  absent  ;  abundant  in  the 
•Canadian  and  transition  zones  ;  locally  rare  in  the  upper  austral  of  southern 
N.  J.  In  earlier  colonial  times  unknown  in  the  austral  zone,  its  primitive 
distribution  being  greatly  altered  by  its  introduction  into  austral  habitat  by 
fox-hunting  man  and  by  the  altered  environment  of  our  lowlands.  Owing  to 
the  importation  of  European  red  foxes  into  this  country  in  early  colonial 
times,  our  east  American  red  fox  is  probably  a  mongrel  species  to  that  extent, 
claiming  as  we  do  that  there  was  originally  a  specific  difference  between  the 
two. 

Records  in  Pa.  —  Consult  remarks  under  this  heading  in  article  above  on 
gray  fox.  Kalm  in  his  "Travels,"  vol.  i,  1770,  p.  283,  says  "the  Red  Foxes 
are  very  scarce  here  [Pa.  &  N.  J.]  :  they  are  entirely  the  same  with  the 


146  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

European  sort."  He  further  states  that  Bartram,  of  Philadelphia,  told  him 
the  Indians  were  unanimous  in  saying  the  red  fox  was  never  in  the  country 
before  the  Europeans.  In  a  discussion  of  the  identity  of  the  American  and 
European  red  foxes  in  Doughty 's  Cabinet  of  Natural  History,  1830,  vol.  i, 
pp.  28,  29,  there  occurs  the  following  significant  allusion  to  the  former 
absence  of  the  red  fox  in  Perry  Co.,  Pa. :  "In  1787  when  quite  a  boy  I  was- 
at  the  death  of  the  first  Red  Fox  killed  in  Perry  Co.,  Pa.  Not  a  person  pres- 
ent, nor  any  who  saw  it  for  some  days,  had  ever  seen  or  heard  of  an  animal 
of  the  kind.  At  last  it  was  shown  to  a  Mr.  Lenarton,  an  old  Jerseyman,  who 
pronounced  it  an  English  fox.  He  said  the  red  fox  was  imported  into  New 
York  from  England  by  one  of  the  first  English  governors,  who  was  said  to  be 
a  great  sportsman,  and  turned  out  on  Long  Island,  where  they  remained  for 
many  years  but  at  last  made  their  way  on  the  ice  to  the  mainland  and  spread 
over  the  country." — See  American  Turf  Register  and  Sporting  Magazine,  vol. 
i,  p.  74.  Such  statements  as  the  above  should  be  considered  by  present-day 
investigators.  The  following  from  Audubon  and  Bachman  is  confirmatory  of 
the  fact  that  a  large  part  of  the  mountainous  country  inhabited  by  the  red  fox 
in  1850  was  destitute  of  them  a  hundred  years  previously  :  "  In  the  early  his- 
tory of  our  country  the  red  fox  was  unknown  south  of  Pennsylvania,  that  state 
being  its  southern  limit.  In  process  of  time  it  was  found  in  the  mountains  of 
Virginia,  where  it  has  now  become  more  abundant  than  the  gray  fox." — 
Quad.  N.  Amer.,  vol.  2,  p.  270.  In  view  of  these  statements  and  of  the  fact 
that  European  foxes  had  been  introduced  into  New  England,  Pennsylvania 
and  Virginia  for  sporting  purposes  by  the  middle  of  the  i8th  century  (1750),. 
it  looks  quite  likely  that  the  red  foxes  mentioned  by  Kalm  as  being  found  in 
N.  J.  and  Pa.  in  1770,  also  the  one  found  in  Perry  Co.  in  1789  and  those  de- 
scribed by  Desmarest*  as  coming  from  "Virginia"  in  1820  were  pure 
descendants  of  the  European  red  fox.  In  such  a  case  Vulpes  fulvus  of 
course  is  a  synonym  of  Vulpes  vulpes  (Linnaeus).  Where  then  was  the 
American  red  fox  in  pre-Columbian  times?  If  it  was  not  in  Perry  Co.  in 
1789,  nor  in  the  mountains  of  Virginia  till  a  much  later  date,  it  must  have 
been  somewhere  in  the  region  north  of  the  Great  Lakes  or  in  the  Hudson 
Bay  regions,  where  the  Delaware  Valley  Indians,  who  talked  to  Bartram,. 
could  not  come  in  contact  with  it.  This  was  probably  the  case,  and  in  these 
regions  only  are  we  to  seek  for  specimens  to  establish  the  real  differences  be- 
tween the  two  continental  forms.  No  doubt  the  difficulty  of  determining  the 

*  Based  on  the  Renard  de  Virginie  of  Palisot  de  Beauvois,  Bulletin  de  las  Societe  Philo- 
mathique,  1800,  p.  137.  Curiously  enough  the  tenability  of  V.  fulvus  Desmarest  is  further 
weakened  by  its  only  reference,  viz,  to  Beauvois  just  cited.  Beauvois'  description  is  solely 
based  on  the  skull  of  a  gray  fox  which  he  compares  with  that  of  the  European  red  fox, 
thinking  he  had  in  hand  the  skull  of  an  American  red  fox.  Desmarest's  description  of  ex- 
ternal characters  was  based  on  a  red  fox  skin,  locality  not  stated. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AlfD   NEW   JERSEY.  147 

status  of  the  two  in  the  past  has  been  due  to  the  use  by  naturalists  of  speci- 
mens more  or  less  thoroughly  European  in  their  ancestry.  Prof.  S.  F.  Baird 
establishes  the  almost  certain  non-existence  of  the  red  fox  in  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania during  comparatively  recent  times  by  the  following  statements  which 
are  so  pertinent  to  this  matter  that  I  quote  them  :  "  It  is  not  a  little  remark- 
able that  there  have  as  yet  been  no  remains  of  the  red  fox  detected  among 
the  [post  pliocene  and  more  recent]  fossils  derived  from  the  Carlisle  and 
other  bone  caves.  The  gray  fox  is  abundantly  represented,  but  not  a  trace  of 
the  other.  This  would  almost  give  color  to  the  impression,  somewhat  preva- 
lent, that  the  red  fox  of  eastern  America  is  the  descendant  of  individuals  of 
the  European  red  fox  imported  many  years  ago,  and  allowed  to  run  wild  and 
overspread  the  country.  The  fact  of  their  present  abundance  and  extent  of 
distribution  is  no  barrier  to  the  reception  of  this  idea,  as  the  same  has  been 
the  case  with  horses  brought  over  by  the  Spaniards  after  the  discovery  of 
America,  and  set  at  liberty." — Mam.  N.  Amer.,  1857,  p.  130.  It  is  also  sig- 
nificant that  a  general  N.  J.  law,  fixing  bounties  on  wolves,  was  in  1714  ex- 
tended to  include  "  Red  Foxes,"  indicating  that  they  had  not  begun  to  be 
troublesome  until  that  date.  So  far  as  the  above  statements  go,  with  many 
others  of  like  import,  it  may  be  asserted  as  an  indisputable  fact  that  no  satis- 
factory comparison  was  ever  made  and  published  which  had  for  its  subjects 
a  series  of  European  and  Virginian,  or  Pennsylvanian  red  foxes  with  skins, 
skulls  and  data  prepared  according  to  modern  standards.  Such  a  comparison 
would  be  an  interesting  and  valuable  contribution  to  mammalogy  and  might 
reveal  some  significant  facts. 

Records  in  N.J. —  Cape  May  C0.— "Seldom  taken." — Beesley,  Geol.  Surv. 
N.  J.,  1857  Appx.  "One  caught  near  Dennisville  by  Chas.  Crandole  about 
1875." — Lee.  Edward  Harris,  of  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  the  friend  of  Audubon, 
wrote  him  regarding  the  method  of  hunting  red  foxes  at  Beesley's  Point  in 
December,  1845.  The  foxes  were  located  on  Peck's  beach,  undoubtedly 
placed  there  for  the  purpose  by  the  hunters.  They  used  no  dogs,  but  had 
drivers  with  clap-boards  and  rattles  to  make  a  din.  Beesley  told  Harris  he 
had  known  7  red  foxes  to  be  cornered  thus  at  the  point  of  the  beach.  The 
gray  fox  was  not  found  on  the  beach.  Audubon's  plate  of  the  red  fox  was 
taken  from  one  of  these  Peck's  beach  specimens  sent  him  by  Harris.  It 
may  now  be  considered  one  of  the  most  typical  representations  of  the  de- 
scendants of  imported  Vulpes  vulpes.  See  Aud.  and  Bach.,  Quad.  N.  Amer., 
1851,  vol.  2,  pp.  265,  266,  267. 

Hudson  Co, — "  On  the  height  beyond  Weehawken  in  the  Jerseys  a  good 
many  red  foxes  are  to  be  found,  as  well  as  more  gray  ones." — Ibid.,  p.  268. 

Mercer  Co. — "  Formerly  was  very  abundant  throughout  the  state,  but  now 
[1868]  is  very  rarely  met  with.  The  last  specimen  seen  in  Mercer  Co.  was 
in  1850,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  others  are  now  living  in  that  or  the  adjoining 


148  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

counties.  The  northern  and  extreme  southern  sections  of  the  state  are  the 
favored  localities."  —  Abbott,  Geol.  N.  J.,  appx.  p.  753.  "Have  known  of 
two  individuals  shot  on  Mt.  Lucas,  one  in  1879,  the  other  about  1890."  — 
Silvester,  1901. 

Undoubtedly  the  red  fox  is  nowhere  common  in  N.  J.  as  in  Pa.,  though 
numerous  in  the  more  rocky,  mountainous  districts.  It  is  very  rare  in  the 
pine  barrens,  those  in  Cape  May  Co.  probably  being  the  decimated  descend- 
ants of  those  introduced  long  'ago  on  Peck's  beach  and  similar  situations  along 
shore  where  they  were  confined  by  the  intervening  waters  of  the  bay.  As 
these  were  sometimes  frozen  over  in  severe  winters,  some  of  these  foxes  would 
cross  to  the  mainland  and  become  scattered. 

Habits,  etc.  —  See  above,  under  gray  fox. 

Description  of  species.  —  Upper  head,  body  and  tail,  bright,  clear,  yellowish 
rufous  ;  belly,  chin,  throat  and  breast  whitish.  Legs  brownish  rufous,  dark- 
ening to  the  feet  ;  tail  tipped  with  white.  Black  and  silver  and  cross  foxes 
are  only  melanotic  phases  of  this  species.  As  in  the  gray  squirrel  and  wolf 
of  the  same  regions  these  color-phases  seem  more  numerous  northward.  All 
phases  of  color  may  be  found  in  the  same  litter,  one  or  both  or  neither  of  the 
parents  being  so  colored.  A  Samson  fox  is  merely  one  whose  pelage  has 
become  worn,  thin,  curly  or  crisp,  generally  from  a  disease  which  prevents,. 
interrupts  or  otherwise  affects  the  molt.  It  indicates  a  run-down  or  depau- 
perate condition,  or  may  sometimes  result  from  being  caught  in  forest  fires. 
Warren  records  three  living  black  or  silver  foxes  in  Pa.  known  to  him,  one  in 
Clinton  Co.,  one  near  Lake  Genoga,  Sullivan  Co.,  and  a  third  in  Pike  Co» 
Mr.  E.  O.  Austin,  of  Austin,  Potter  Co.,  writes  me  that  he  saw  the  skin  of  one  in 
Coudersport  many  years  ago.  He  also  saw  one  running  off  when  he  was  a  boy. 
The  cross  fox  and  silver  fox  he  pronounces  rare  in  Potter  Co.  The  black  fox 
alluded  to  was  sold  for  $200  by  P.  A.  Stebbins,  of  Coudersport,  a  cross  fox  at 
the  same  time  bringing  $80.  Mr.  Lin.  Parker  says  that  a  strange,  blackish 
animal  with  long  hair  and  bushy  tail  was  seen  near  Highland  Lake  two  years 
ago.  This  may  have  been  the  Ganoga  Lake  black  fox  mentioned  by  Warren. 
Audubon  states  that  black  foxes  were  "  occasionally,  but  very  rarely,  killed  in 
the  mountainous  parts  of  Pennsylvania"  in  his  day,  1850. 

Measurements.  —  Total  length,  1000  mm.  ($y*/2  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  360 
(14);  hind  foot,  150 


Genus  Cant's  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  38. 

Appalachian  Gray  Wolf;  Timber  Wolf.     Cams  mexicanus  nubilus 
(Say). 

1823.   Cants  nubilus  (Say),  Long's  Expedition  to  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
vol.  i,  p.  169. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  149 

1894.  Cants  mexicanus  nubilus  Rhoads,  American  Naturalist,  vol.  28,  p. 
524. 

Type  locality. — Vicinity  of  Council  Bluffs,  Pottawatamie  Co.,  Iowa. 

Faunal  distribution. — Nothing  can  be  now  defined  as  to  the  faunal  rela- 
tions of  the  North  American  gray  wolves.  The  name  above  given  was  ap- 
plied to  a  wolf  nearer  than  any  yet  named,  geographically  and  faunally,  to 
the  eastern  animal,  but  as  it  belongs  to  a  prairie-haunting  wolf  it  may  not  be 
applicable  to  our  timber  wolf  in  a  subspecific  sense.  I  adopt  it  as  the  most 
tenable  name  for  our  wolf  yet  published,  there  seeming  to  be  no  old  names 
specially  applicable  to  wolves  found  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  north 
of  Georgia.  Perhaps  occidental  of  Richardson  may  be  as  applicable. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Wolves  were. once  commonly  and  uni- 
formly distributed  over  the  entire  limits  of  the  two  states.  They  were  ap- 
parently exterminated  in  Pa.  within  the  last  10  or  15  years,  but  more  recent 
accounts  seem  to  indicate  that  a  remnant  of  the  typical  Alleghanian  animal 
may  still  exist  in  the  mountains  separating  Westmoreland  and  Somerset  Cos., 
Pa.  In  N.  J.  they  had  been  exterminated  so  early,  even  in  the  northern 
wilds,  that  I  can  get  no  data  as  to  the  last  survivors.  They  were  approxi- 
mately exterminated  in  N.  J.  in  the  early  decades  of  the  igth  century.  As 
one  was  killed  in  Wayne  Co.  in  1887,  being  driven  in  from  New  York  state 
by  dogs,  it  is  quite  likely  that  a  stray  wanderer  may  have  come  from  the  same 
sources  into  the  Sussex  Co.  mountains  as  late  as  the  middle  of  the  century, 
from  New  York  or  Pa. 

Records  in  Pa. —  General  records. — "  The  following  notes  seem  to  indicate 
that  the  wolf  has  never  been  wholly  exterminated  in  Pennsylvania,  but  that 
there  yet  exist  some  of  these  wary  rovers  of  the  wilderness,  to  attest  the 
theory  that  no  country  where  the  Virginia  deer  yet  remain  is  free  from  their 
incursions.  It  is  well  known  that  the  wolf  is  frequently  noted  in  the  Alleghany 
mountains  of  West  Virginia,  and  the  nature  of  the  country  lying  between 
these  and  the  wilds  of  western  Pennsylvania  so  favors  communication  between 
the  two  that  it  requires  no  stretch  of  fancy  to  understand  how  the  crafty  wan- 
derers yet  defy  extermination." — Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  pp. 
220,  221.  "In  view  of  the  fact  that  for  several  years  past  the  writer  has 
made  especial  efforts  to  verify  the  statement  that  this  animal  is  still  to  be 
found  in  Pennsylvania,  and  has  failed,  he  is  very  much  inclined  to  the 
opinion  that  none  of  the  species  in  a  wild  state  are  present  in  this  Common- 
wealth. It  is  true  that  bounty  records  in  different  counties  of  the  state,  as 
late,  perhaps,  as  six  months  since,  show  that  wolf  scalps  have  been  paid  for. 
Such  data,  however,  must  not  be  taken  as  conclusive  evidence  of  the  presence 
of  these  animals,  for  the  heads  and  ears  of  grizzly,  long-haired  cur  dogs,  etc., 
or  the  pelts  of  wolves  brought  to  Pennsylvania  from  other  states,  have  in  past 
years  proven  of  considerable  value  to  scalp  hunters,  although  expensive  to 
the  local  taxpayers." — Warren,  Poultry  Book,  1896,  p.  495. 


I5O  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Bradford  Co. — "I  purchased  a  pair  of  unbroken  colts  in  the  fall  of  1877 
and  put  them  to  work  at  once.  They  were  still  quite  wild  when  a  wolf 
crossed  the  road  in  front  of  them  as  I  was  returning  from  Fox  Centre,  Sulli- 
van Co.,  to  Canton,  Bradford  Co." — Cleveland. 

Bucks  Co. — A  wolf  was  captured  in  Bucks  Co.  by  John  Smith  about  1 800. 
— Mercer,  "Tools  of  the  Nation  Maker,"  1897. 

Cameron  Co. — "  Practically  exterminated  ;  one  hunter  saw  wolf  tracks  a 
year  ago." — Larrabee,  1896.  "I  was  told  by  3  men  that  that  they  saw  2 
wolves  catch  and  kill  a  deer  in  VVyckof  Run  [Gibson  Township]  alongside  of 
the  lumber  railroad." — Nelson.  No  date  of  this  occurrence  was  given,  but  it 
was  furnished  among  some  notes  of  recent  records. — Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N. 
Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  221. 

Chester  Co. — January  ist,  1816,  a  wolf  was  killed  at  West  Nottingham. — 
Watson's  Annals,  1830. 

Clearfield  Co. — "The  last  wolf  was  killed  in  Clearfield  Co.  with  a  club  by 
a  man  on  horseback,  the  winter  of  i89i-'92.  It  was  killed  by  William  Bon- 
sall  of  the  same  county." — Nelson;  see  Rhoads,  P.  A.  N.  S.,  1897,  p.  221. 
"The  last  [Pa.]  wolf  I  have  knowledge  of  was  killed  by  myself  in  1858,  near 
Janesville.  The  circumstances  were  as  follows :  Mr.  Joseph  McCully  and 
wife  were  on  their  way  to  the  grist  mill  near  Janesville ;  a  colt  was  following 
the  sled  and  a  wolf  came  in  pursuit.  It  followed  within  a  mile  of  the  settle- 
ment. Mr.  McCully  aroused  me  in  the  early  morning  and  related  the  facts 
in  the  case,  and  I  took  the  track  of  the  animal  and  in  a  few  hours  shot  him." 
— Abraham  Neveling  in  Warren's  Poultry  Book,  p.  498. 

Clinton  Co. — "I  have  been  told  by  2  hunters  that  they  saw  2  wolves  this 
winter  about  6  miles  from  my  place  [Round  Island,  1893-94],  but  I  have 
been  all  through  that  woods  and  see  no  signs  of  anything  but  lynx,  wild  cats 
and  foxes." — Nelson  in  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  221. 

Elk  Co. — "  Few,  if  any,  left  in  Elk  Co.  None  captured  in  the  last  de- 
cade."— Luhr,  1900.  "Last  wolf  was  shot  in  Elk  Co.  in  1891." — Clay.  "A 
wolf  was  killed  in  Elk  Co.  by  a  deer  hunter  about  the  year  1887." — Stevens. 

Forest  Co. — The  last  known  to  me  was  killed  in  a  big  windfall  on  Hem- 
lock Creek  about  1855,  but  S.  M.  Henry,  county  treasurer,  says  the  last  one 
killed  in  the  county  was  taken  by  Emanuel  Dobson  in  Jenks  township  in 
1884." — Irwin.  "A  few  lived  in  Forest  Co.  from  1850  to  1856." — Haslet. 

Franklin  Co. — To  illustrate  the  kind  of  wolf  stories  invented  in  Pa.  and 
evidence  produced  to  verify  them  and  secure  bounty  for  scalps,  the  notorious 
instance  of  Joe  Poole's  "wolf"  may  be  briefly  given.  My  correspondent, 
Mr.  Strealy  of  Chambersburg,  sent  me  the  first  newspaper  accounts  of  this 
capture,  in  which  Poole,  of  North  Mountain,  an  old,  well-known  trapper  in 
the  Chambersburg  region,  produced  the  skin  of  a  wolf  which  he  declared  he 
trapped  in  Bear  Valley,  near  Loudon,  Peters  township,  in  March,  1897.  So 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  151 

cunningly  did  Poole  play  his  game  that  many  hunters  who  visited  him,  skep- 
tical of  the  truth  of  his  story,  went  away  convinced  he  had  the  genuine 
article.  Among  these  Mr.  Strealy  and  some  of  his  hunting  friends  did  some 
careful  detective  work,  and  were  about  converted  to  Poole's  logic.  A  photo- 
graph of  Poole,  with  the  wolf  skin  in  his  lap,  was  taken  and  sent  to  me. 
Meanwhile  I  believe  the  bounty  was  paid  to  Poole  by  the  county  treasurer. 
Poole  consented  finally  to  sell  the  skin  and  to  produce  the  skull  of  the  animal 
as  further  evidence  of  his  sincerity  and  uprightness.  I  purchased  these,  and 
they  were  forwarded  to  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  by  Mr.  Strealy. 
An  examination  of  the  skin  showed  conclusively  that  it  was  from  a  coyote  or 
prairie  wolf,  and  from  the  manner  of  tanning  and  method  of  skinning,  re- 
sembled closely  a  poor  specimen  of  the  skins  of  these  animals  shipped  from 
the  west  to  our  eastern  markets  for  rugs.  The  skull  sent  was  that  of  an  old 
dog,  resembling  closely  the  skull  of  a  fox-hound.  Poole  had  stated  that  he 
killed  the  animal  in  his  trap  by  a  blow  on  the  head  with  an  axe  or  hatchet. 
To  give  color  to  this  he  had  slit  the  skin  of  the  face  with  a  knife,  and  pushed 
one  of  the  nasal  bones  of  the  skull  down  into  the  nasal  cavity.  That  both  of 
these  mutilations  had  been  made  after  the  tanning  of  the  skin  and  the  mac- 
eration of  the  skull  was  plainly  evident.  These  specimens  of  "  Pennsylvania 
wolf"  will  be  preserved,  as  an  object  lesson  to  future  investigators  of  the  Pa. 
fauna,  in  the  collections  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia. 
— Rhoads. 

Lackawanna  Co. — "  The  I^ackawanna  Co.  records  show  that  4  wolves  were 
paid  for  in  1896.  Dr.  Isaiah  F.  Everhart  and  Mr.  Geo.  P.  Friant,  of  Scran- 
ton,  are  inclined  to  believe  there  is  some  mistake  about  these  animals,  as 
neither  has  heard  of  a  genuine  wild  wolf  in  that  locality  within  the  last  20 
years." — Warren,  Poultry  Book,  1897. 

Lancaster  Co. — See  York  Co. 

Luzerne  Co. — •'  About  the  year  1845  wolves  were  abundant  in  Tomhickon 
Valley,  between  Catawissa  and  Hazleton,  where,  according  to  my  friend  Dr. 
Thomas  C.  Thornton,  they  often  attacked  human  beings,  destroyed  the  set- 
tlers' cattle,  sheep  and  poultry  and  devoured  game."  Warren,  Poultry  Book, 
p.  498.  Warren  continues  to  relate  how  the  father  of  Dr.  Thornton,  also  a 
doctor,  becoming  lost  in  this  region  on  his  way  to  visit  a  patient,  was  beset 
by  wolves  but  fortunately  defeated  them  after  a  two-day  skirmish  by  the  use 
of  ammonia,  with  which  he  saturated  one  of  his  leggings  and  struck  the  animals 
as  they  came  near,  the  mysterious  character  of  his  defense  getting  the  better 
of  their  rapacity  more  on  account  of  its  invisible  nature  than  its  physical  ef- 
fects. No  doubt  the  defense  of  a  skunk  is  efficacious  partly  on  the  same 
grounds.  From  1808  to  1820  Luzerne  Co.  paid  $2872  in  $5  bounties  for 
wolf  scalps  j^As  many  as  273  wolves  were  killed  in  i  year.  "George  Crock- 
ett occasionally  brings  the  scalp  of  a  wolf  to  Wilkesbarre  [in  1860]  for  which 
the  county  treasurer  pays  him  $25." — Annals  Luz.  Co.,  Pearce,  1860,  p.  495. 


152  MAMMALS   OF  PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

McKean  Co, — "The  last  one  killed  in  the  county  was  about  14  years  ago.'r 
— W.  C.  Dickeson,  1899.  "  From  the  i8th  of  May,  1869,  to  May  isth,  1872, 
I  caught  15  wolves  and  crippled  3  more.  I  think  I  have  seen  where  wolves 
have  killed  150  sheep  at  least.  I  have  seen  where  wolves  have  killed  deer  a 
good  many  times.  The  last  gray  wolf  killed  in  this  county  was  taken  by  a 
boy  on  the  Kinzua  Creek  in  1886." — C.  W.  Dickinson  in  Warren's  Poultry 
book,  p.  497.  "This  county  used  to  pay  a  bounty  on  wolves;  $25.00  on  a 
grown  wolf  and  $  12.00  on  each  whelp.  In  June,  1868,  two  men,  Leroy  Ly- 
man,  of  Potter  Co.,  and  J.  W.  Stark,  of  Smethport,  found  a  den  or  nest  of 
young  wolves  on  Cole  Creek,  this  Co.  They  got  three  whelps  and  later  the 
mother  of  them.  On  the  i8th  day  of  May,  1869, 1  found  a  nest  of  wolves  on 
the  south  fork  of  the  west  branch  of  Potato  Creek.  I  got  five  young  ones 
and  three  weeks  later  caught  both  of  the  old  ones.  In  October,  jfS-jo,  I 
caught  another  one.  In  Sept.,  1871,  I  caught  one;  also  in  Oct.,  1872,  got 
one,  and  May,  1872,  I  found  a  nest  where  I  got  seven  whelps  and  caught  an 
old  one,  but  he  left  a  hind  foot  in  my  trap  and  made  good  his  escape.  This 
wolf  was  the  last  wolf  killed  in  this  county,  viz.,  in  1886  [killed  by  the  boys, 
later]." — C.  W.  Dickinson,  1901.  In  a  later  letter  Mr.  Dickinson  explains 
that  this  same  wolf,  whose  foot  was  left  in  his  trap,  was  killed  by  a  stone 
thrown  by  one  of  two  boys  who  found  it  in  their  rambles  on  Kinzua  Creek, 
exact  locality  not  stated.  The  boys  were  from  Bradford,  McKean  Co. — 
Rhoads. 

Mifflin  Co. — "  In  relation  to  wolves  in  Mifflin  Co.,  Pa.,  it  was  stated  by 
one  of  our  hunting  party  that  the  beds  of  thirteen  wolves  had  been  seen  that 
fall  [1898]  by  some  lumbermen.  I  gave  no  credence  to  the  report,  and 
probably  would  not  have  thought  of  it  again  had  I  not  seen  a  statement  in  a 
newspaper  giving  an  account  of  wolves  attacking  a  school  teacher  in  one  of 
the  adjoining  counties." — Cleveland. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "  I  can  get  no  information  as  to  the  date  of  the 
disappearance  of  the  timber  wolf  from  this  part  of  the  state.  Conservative 
residents  set  it  as  nearly  40  years  ago,  but  it  is  probable  they  existed  to  a 
much  later  date." — Rhoads,  1894.  See  in  this  relation  Wayne  Co.  records. 
— Rhoads,  1902. 

Potter  Co. — "  Practically  extinct.  I  saw  many  as  late  as  1857  on  the  head- 
waters of  Pine  Creek  and  the  Sinnemahoning.  The  last  I  knew  killed  here 
was  taken  by  Leroy  Lyman  about  1875." — Austin,  1900.  The  county 
records  for  1890  show  that  a  wolf  was  paid  for  in  Potter  Co.  that  year  by  the 
Co.  Treasurer. — See  Warren's  Poultry  Book,  p.  690. 

Somerset  and  Westmoreland  Cos.  —  While  stationed  at  Laughlintown, 
VVestm.  Co.,  collecting  specimens  for  the  Carnegie  museum  of  Pittsburg  in 
1898,  I  was  informed  by  several  persons  that  wolves  made  their  home  in 
Laurel  Ridge,  the  part  of  the  main  range  of  the  Alleghanies  separating 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA  AND   NEW  JERSEY.  153 

Somerset  and  Westmoreland  Cos.  It  was  stated  that  two  or  three  had  been 
captured  or  wounded  in  the  last  few  years  in  these  mountains,  and  that  their 
tracks  had  been  seen  every  winter  in  the  snow,  indicating  there  were  several 
of  them.  Since  that  time  many  newspaper  accounts  have  been  published 
yearly  as  to  their  being  seen  or  chased  by  hunters  in  that  region.  My  faith- 
ful correspondent,  Dr.  H.  D.  Moore,  of  New  Lexington,  Somerset  Co.,  has 
sent  me  some  notice  of  these  incidents,  but  was  unable  to  vouch  for  them. 
A  dispatch  to  the  Phila.  North  American,  dated  Feb.  28,  1901,  kept  these 
rumors  booming  by  a  sanguinary  account  of  how  '  three  gaunt  wolves,  driven 
from  the  mountains  by  hunger,  descended  upon  the  town  of  Rockwood, 
Somerset  Co.,  and  attacked  a  team  of  horses  standing  in  front  of  Miller's 
general  store."  The  hotel  proprietor  brained  one ;  another  was  shot ;  the 
third  escaped.  This  story  has  not  been  followed  up  by  me.  Dr.  Moore  has 
not  yet  corroborated  it.  Meanwhile,  I  have  received  the  following  from  Mr. 
W.  E.  McHenry,  of  Johnstown,  Cambria  Co. :  "  Our  attorney,  Mr.  H.  S. 
Endsley,  informs  me  that  about  two  years  ago  [1897]  a  hunter  named  Aneer, 
shot  a  gray  wolf  in  Jefferson  township,  Somerset  Co."  Under  date  of  Feb- 
ruary 6th,  1902,  Dr.  Moore  sends  me  the  following  clipping  from  a  Pittsburg 
paper :  "  Wolves  from  the  mountain  district  in  Westmoreland  county  are 
playing  havock  with  live  stock.  Near  [Laughlintown]  Vestry  Eagan,  a 
farmer  set  a  trap  Sunday  night  and  caught  a  gray  wolf  of  unusual  size."  Dr. 
Moore  writes  that  he  is  investigating  the  matter  and  that  "Laughlintown  is 
in  a  section  of  the  mountain  where  a  Somerset  Co.  man  claims  to  have 
trapped  a  wolf  two  years  ago."  Since  Moore's  letter  a  letter  has  been  re- 
ceived from  an  acquaintance  living  in  Laughlintown,  Mrs.  Gertrude  Fry, 
stating :  "  Some  men  at  the  lumber  camp  in  the  mountains  have  captured  a 
live  wolf  and  are  keeping  it  in  the  camp." — Dated  Feb.  icth,  1902.  In  his 
Poultry  book,  p.  495,  Dr.  Warren  says:  "A  large  wolf  was  lately  slain  in 
Westmoreland  Co.,  but  investigation  showed  it  had  been  shipped  alive  from 
the  far  west  and  liberated  to  be  pursued  by  hounds,  from  which  it  escaped,  to 
be  subsequently  taken  as  a  genuine  example  of  a  Pennsylvania  wolf."  Is  this 
the  Aneer  wolf?  I  have  since  received,  through  Mr.  Todd,  Dr.  Moore  and 
Mrs.  Fry,  letters  which  show  that  the  recent  "  Vestry  Eagan  "  (Aiken)  wolf 
was  a  myth  and  the  story  a  deliberate  lie.  The  Aneer  wolf,  through  Mr. 
Todd's  investigation,  has  reached  the  following  stage  of  inquiry:  "John 
Aneer,  aged  86,  killed  a  wolf  Feb.  5th,  1897  ;  very  ferocious  ;  shot  him  in  a 
trap ;  too  heavy  to  carry ;  brought  it  home  on  a  horse  ;  removed  the  hide  ; 
sold  it;  received  £3  for  the  pelt  and  $10  premium  ;  it  was  on  exhibition  at 
Hotel  Van  Near,  Somerset  [Somerset  Co.];  Charles  Van  Near  bought  the 
pelt,  had  it  tanned,  making  a  robe  of  it.  Aneer  has  seen  no  wolf  tracks  this 
winter.'  These  facts  were  communicated  to  Mr.  Todd  by  a  Mr.  Queer,, 
grandson  of  Aneer,  and  by  John  L.  Boyd,  of  Ligonier,  Pa.  In  a  letter  dated 


154  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Somerset,  Pa.,  Hotel  Van  Near,  April  10,  1902, we  find  C.  S.  Van  Near's  state- 
ments regarding  the  wolf  in  question.  It  will  be  seen  that  John  "  Aneer" 
above  quoted,  should  be  John  Queer,  and  that  there  seems  no  doubt  of  the 
capture  of  the  animal.  Its  origin,  as  suggested  by  Dr.  Warren,  is  doubtful. 
The  letter  is  as  follows  :  "  Mr.  Samuel  N.  Rhoads,  Dear  Sir :  Your  letter  of 
inquiry  received  in  regard  to  wolf  hide  which  I  have.  In  reply  would  say 
that  he  was  a  very  large  gray  timber  wolf,  and  was  caught  in  a  trap  in  Laurel 
Hill  Mountains  by  an  old  man  by  the  name  of  John  Queer.  He  measured 
six  (6)  feet  and  two  (2)  inches  from  point  of  his  nose  to  tip  of  tail  without 
any  stretching.  His  height  at  shoulders  was  three  (3)  feet  and  at  hips  two 
(2)  feet  and  eight  (8)  inches.  His  front  legs  very  strong  and  about  the  size 
of  a  man's  arm.  Mr.  Queer  brought  him  here  to  Somerset,  Pa.,  and  got  ten 
(10)  dol.  bounty  for  him  from  the  commissioners  and  I  bought  the  hide  and 
gave  him  three  (3)  dol.  for  it,  and  I  tried  to  get  it  mounted  but  was  unable, 
and  had  it  tanned  and  have  it  yet.  His  colcr  :  the  under  side  of  his  body  is 
rather  light,  his  legs  are  a  little  brown  and  gray,  his  sides  are  gray,  and 
along  back  and  tail  are  gray  mixed  with  black  and  mostly  black.  If  you  wish 
to  see  the  hide  you  can  see  it  any  time  here  at  Hotel  Arlington,  Somerset, 
Pa.  Very  truly  yours,  C.  S.  Van  Near." 

Sullivan  Co. — "The  last  wolf  killed  here  was  in  1860,  by  Richard  Wil- 
liams."— Behr.,  1902.  "  Long  since  exterminated." — Bennett,  1896. 

Tioga  Co. — The  county  bounty  records  for  1896  show  that  §30  was  col- 
lected by  Chas.  Kerby  for  the  killing  of  3  wolves  in  Tioga.  The  newspaper 
clipping  which  follows  was  sent  me  by  a  correspondent.  It  indicated  not  so 
much  the  abundance  of  Pa.  wolves  as  the  scarcity  of  that  love  for  truth  which 
so  many  people  lose  in  their  greed  for  filthy  lucre  :  "  Wellsboro,  Pa.,  Jan.  24, 
1897. — By  the  confession  of  one  of  the  persons  implicated,  the  particulars  of 
a  unique  story  have  just  come  to  light  in  the  lower  end  of  this  county.  Last 
fall,  when  Charles  Lee's  circus  returned  to  Canton  to  go  into  winter  quarters, 
the  sheriff  sold  him  out.  Among  the  animals  in  the  menageries  were  three 
prairie  wolves,  which  were  sold  for  50  cents  each  to  Charles  Kerby,  of  Cedar 
Lodge.  He  kept  them  chained  in  his  dooryard  until  cold  weather  set  in, 
when  a  bright  thought  struck  him.  With  the  aid  of  two  men  from  Canton 
the  beasts  were  put  in  a  box  and  hauled  into  a  forest  away  back  in  Liberty 
township,  where  they  were  shot.  Although  wolves  have  been  extinct  in 
Pennsylvania  for  many  years,  there  is  an  old  law  giving  £10  bounty  for  wolf 
scalps.  Kerby  took  the  three  pelts  to  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  De 
Coursey,  where  he  made  affidavit  that  he  killed  them  within  the  bailiwick  of 
Tioga,  got  the  $30  bounty  and  went  home  happy."  See  also  Dr.  Warren's 
remarks  on  this  fiasco,  p.  496  of  the  Poultry  Book.  "About  1885  Levi 
Kissinger,  of  Roaring  Branch,  killed  a  wolf." — Cleveland.  A  fuller  account 
was  later  sent  to  me  by  Dr.  Cleveland  as  follows:  "Mr.  Levi  Kissinger,  of 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  155 

Liberty,  writes  :  '  In  reply  to  your  letter,  I  would  say  I  killed  that  wolf,  as 
near  as  I  could  tell,  in  the  fall  of  1874,  during  one  of  the  first  tracking  snows. 
The  wolf  had  killed,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Jackson  township,  about  50  or 
60  sheep  before  I  shot  him  on  Laurel  Hill,  between  Tim  Gray's  and  Red 
Ross's.  I  received  no  bounty ;  they  told  me  there  was  none.  The  skin  I 
gave  to  preacher  King,  for  two  dollars  on  his  salary.  The  wolf  was  killed 
before  I  moved  from  Union  in  1875.'  W.  C.  Sechrist,  Esq.,  of  Canton,  Pa., 
a  descendant  of  the  Sechrists  of  Liberty,  says  that  he  opened  an  office  in 
Canton  in  1881,  that  Kissinger  brought  the  wolf  skin  to  his  office  after  that 
date,  and  is  positive  that  Mr.  Kissinger  is  mistaken  in  his  date.  I  got  the 
date  1885  from  John  Sechrist,  of  Blossburg,  Pa.,  who  was  living  a  near 
neighbor  to  Mr.  Kissinger  when  he  killed  the  wolf." — Cleveland,  1901. 

Wayne  Co. — "  The  last  wolf  was  taken  by  Wm.  T.  Teeple  in  north  central 
part  of  Lebanon  township  in  1848." — Kellew  or  Goodnough.  "The  last  one 
killed  in  this  Co.  was  by  Phineas  Teeple  more  than  40  years  ago." — Teeple 
and  Day,  1899.  "A  wolf  was  killed  at  Prompton,  central  Wayne  Co.,  near 
Honesdale  in  1887,  by  Daniel  Routan.  It  was  run  in  from  N.  York  State  by 
a  hound." — Stevens.  See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  221, 

Wyoming  Co. — O.  B.  Vose  caught  the  last  one  in  this  Co.  about  30  years 
ago." — Robinson,  1900. 

York  Co. — "  Within  ten  years  a  wolf  crossed  the  Susquehanna  River  from 
York  County  "  into  Lancaster  Co.— See  Rupp's  Hist.  Lane,  and  York  Cos., 
1844. 

Records  in  N.  Jf. — In  the  absence  of  any  records  dating  even  approxi- 
mately the  disappearance  of  this  animal  from  N.  J.,  I  give  a  few  historic 
references.  The  reader  is  referred  to  my  quotations  regarding  N.  J.  bounty 
laws  on  wolves  under  the  article  on  the  cougar  or  panther.  Mr.  F.  B.  Lee, 
of  Trenton,  furnishes  the  following  additional  information  in  this  matter.  It 
is  taken  from  the  Newark  Daily  Advertiser  of  1843  or  1844  :  "  In  June,  1682, 
a  bounty  of  15  shillings  per  head  on  wolves  was  offered  by  each  [N.  J.] 
county  and  15  shillings  additional  were  paid  by  the  town  in  whose  limits  the 
animals  might  be  killed,  excepting  the  towns  in  Somerset  Co.,  where  seven 
shillings  were  paid.  In  1693  these  laws  were  repealed  and  it  was  left  to  the 
discretion  of  each  town  to  adopt  such  measures  as  might  be  necessary  to  ex- 
terminate the  wolves.  General  legislation  however  was  again  resorted  to  in 
March,  1714,  and  the  bounty  was  extended  to  panthers  and  red  foxes."  In 
July,  1 730,  a  repealer  was  passed  against  the  red  fox  bounty,  and  the  sum  of 
20  shillings  was  set  on  the  head  of  every  adult  wolf,  only  5  shillings  for  a 
whelp,  and  for  panthers  15  shillings.  These  bounties  being  found  insufficient 
were  increased  in  1751  to  60  shillings  for  wolves  and  10  shillings  for  whelps. 
From  the  manuscript  account  of  my  ancestor  Ebenezer  Hopkins,  of  Haddon- 
field,  county  collector  and  treasurer  of  Gloucester  Co.,  N.  J.,  in  the  years 


156  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

*753>  J749  and  '50,  some  idea  of  the  number  of  wolves  and  panthers  in  that 
then  extensive  county  may  be  gathered.  I  give  the  names  and  dates  merely  : 
•"  John  Boston,  Junior,  3  mo.,  10,  1753,  2  wolf  heads,  6  pounds  sterling; 
Gideon  Scull,  3  mo.,  15,  1753,  panther's  head,  15  shillings;  George  May, 
12  mo.,  3, 1749,  wolfs  head,  i  pound  ;  Indian  Sam,  12  mo.,  6, 1749,  panther's 
head;  Indian  Oliver,  4  mo.,  4.  1850,  wolfs  head,  i  pound;  Richard  Fry, 
•6  mo.,  9,  1850,  panther  head,  15  shillings."  Nearly  half  of  the  whole  num- 
ber of  entries  of  payments  Jby  E.  Hopkins  are  of  bounties  on  wild  beasts. 
Kalm  states  that  at  the  time  the  small  pox  nearly  exterminated  the  Indians 
in  N.  J.  and  Pa.  the  wolves  became  very  abundant  and  bold  around  their 
villages,  and  that  they  were  still  abundant  up  country  in  1770  in  the  two 
states.  The  inhabitants  of  the  N.  J.  seacoast  used  to  capture  wolves  in  pits. 
•Such  places,  used  by  his  ancestors  on  the  farm  of  Albert  Pharo,  Tuckerton, 
N.  J.,  were  shown  to  me  in  1891  by  the  owner,  who  stated  they  were  used 
for  that  purpose  in  his  father's  early  days.  I  am  told  by  Dr.  T.  P.  Price,  of 
Tuckerton,  that  similar  pits  are  to  be  seen  on  the  Phineas  Burton  farm  farther 
down  shore. - 

Habits,  etc. — Literature,  folk-lore,  legend  and  tradition  are  so  profuse  re- 
-specting  the  cunning,  wisdom,  ferocity,  cowardice  and  boldness  of  this  ani- 
mal, I  can  add  nothing  to  it.  E.  S.  Thompson's  classic  chapters  on  the 
animal,  recently  published,  apply  as  directly  to  the  wolves  of  the  east  as  to 
those  of  the  west. 

Description  of  species. — No  specimens  of  a  Pa.  or  N.  J.  wolf,  not  even  a 
•skin  or  a  skull,  being  known  to  me,  I  cannot  define  their  characters.  Black 
and  white  wolves  are  not  mentioned  as  being  found  in  the  state  that  I  re- 
member, the  gray  being  typical  in  our  limits.  In  Godman's  American 
Natural  History,  vol.  i,  1826,  p.  260,  he  says  :  "The  wolf  found  in  Pennsyl- 
vania is  of  a  reddish-brown  color,  the  hair  being  tipped  with  black,  but 
-especially  so  over  the  fore-shoulders  and  sides."  It  is  hoped  that  any  per- 
sons knowing  of  the  existence  of  any  of  the  recent  remains  of  our  Pa.  and 
N.  J.  wolf,  whether  fur,  robe,  mounted  skin  or  skull,  will  forward  them  for 
preservation  in  one  of  our  state  museums  ere  all  evidence  of  their  characters 
be  lost.  The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  Pa.  and  N.  J.  panther,  lynx,  fisher, 
beaver,  fox  squirrel  and  the  N.  J.  deer. 

Family  MUSTELID^E  ;  Otters,  weasels,  skunks,  etc. 
Genus  Lutra  Erxleben,  Systema  Regni  Anim.,  1777,  vol.  i,  p.  445. 
Northeastern  Otter.     Lutra  canadensis  (Schreber). 
•1776.  Mustela  hitra  canadensis  Schreber,  Saugthiere,  pi.  126  B. 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  157 

1823.  Lutra  canadensis  Sabine,  Franklin's  Narrative,  Journal  to  Polar  Sea, 

P-  653- 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution. — Hudsonian,  Canadian  and  transition  zones ;  Hudson 
Bay  and  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  Cascade  Mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — The  more  typical  Canadian  form  of  otter 
may  be  said  to  be  found  only  in  the  water  courses  and  lakes  of  the  higher 
mountains  of  the  two  states,  blending  as  we  reach  tide  water  into  the  south- 
ern form  lataxina,  next  considered.  At  one  time  evenly  and  numerously 
distributed,  it  has  become  rare  almost  everywhere,  and  in  many  places  is 
only  known  as  an  occasional  straggler  from  more  favored  localities. 

Records  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — On  consulting  my  records  from  about  100 
different  localities  in  all  parts  of  the  two  states  it  seems  superfluous  to  enu- 
merate them  in  order.  The  otter,  while  supposed  to  be  absent  from  a  great 
many  localities,  and  never  seen  even  by  ordinary  hunters  and  woodsmen, 
often  exists  in  the  most  thickly  populated  districts,  escaping  observation  on 
account  of  its  aquatic  and  nocturnal  habits  and  its  extreme  wariness.  Indeed 
it  is  now  more  abundant  in  the  unpolluted  tidewater  streams  of  our  country 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  towns  and  villages  than  in  some  of  the  wilds  of 
the  mountains.  This  is  owing  to  the  destruction  of  fish  and  the  otherwise 
noxious  condition  of  our  streams  in  many  extensive  mountain  tracts  due  to 
the  drainage  from  tanneries,  mines,  oil  wells,  chemical  works,  factories  and 
foundries.  In  the  unpolluted  glacial  lakes  of  northern  Pa.  and  N.  J.  their 
numbers  are  greater.  The  tidewater  creeks  of  Pa.  and  N.  J.,  both  maritime 
and  inland,  are  never  without  some  of  these  aquatic  rovers.  The  cedar 
swamps  and  inland  dams  of  N.  J.  form  a  secure  and  uncontaminated 
rendezvous  for  otters.  In  Chester,  Delaware,  Philadelphia  and  Bucks 
counties  of  Pa.,  and  more  especially  in  Cumberland,  Salem,  Gloucester, 
Camden,  Burlington  and  Mercer  of  N.  J.,  the  affluents  of  the  Delaware  River 
probably  harbor  more  otters  than  in  any  other  area  of  equal  size  in  the  two 
states.  Owing  to  the  decline  of  expert  trappers,  they  are  rarely  discovered 
and  more  seldom  captured,  though  their  signs  may  be  discovered  along  these 
waters  at  any  time  by  one  conversant  with  them. 

Habits,  etc. — Owing  to  their  sociability,  aquatic  life,  extreme  agility  and 
playfulness  and  their  simple  diet  of  fish,  in  whose  pursuit  they  exhibit  so  much 
add  ress  and  amazing  skill,  without  the  bloodthirsty  and  wanton  destructive- 
ness  of  other  carnivorous  species,  the  habits  of  the  otter  are  of  especial  inter- 
est. The  principal  food  of  the  otter  is  fish,  they  being  able  to  chase  and 
capture  with  comparative  ease  such  nimble  species  as  the  trout,  salmon  and 
picke  rel,  the  latter  species  forming  a  large  part  of  its  diet  in  the  lakes  of  the 
north  and  the  waters  of  the  N.  J.  cedar  swamps.  It  also  devours  more  slug- 
gish species  in  maritime  waters,  as  the  sucker,  mullet  and  perch.  The  cray. 


158  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

fish,  eel,  shrimp,  fresh-water  mussels  and  probably  such  tender-shelled  bivalves 
as  are  found  in  the  bays  frequented  by  them  are  also  eaten.  In  the  water, 
the  grace,  swiftness  and  agility  of  this  animal  excite  admiration.  It  can  re- 
main a  long  time  beneath  the  surface,  twisting  and  doubling  in  the  chase, 
leaping  out  and  diving  again  as  its  victim  breaks  cover,  and  bringing  the 
prey  to  the  bank  when  caught  to  eat  it,  devouring  first  the  head  as  the  most 
delicate  part.  On  land  this  animal  is  by  no  means  awkward,  often  traversing 
miles  in  the  rutting  season  or  in  winter  in  a  cross-country  search  for  its  com- 
rades or  for  better  hunting  grounds.  On  such  occasions  it  takes  a  direct 
course,  often  crossing  hilly  and  open  country  to  attain  its  object.  When 
snow  is  on  the  ground  it  alternately  leaps  and  slides  along,  taking  advantage 
of  every  slope  for  a  long  slide  and  often  diving  under  the  snow  for  long  dis- 
tances. This  method  of  locomotion  is  so  swift  that  Richardson  says  a  swift 
runner  on  snow-shoes  often  finds  trouble  to  overtake  and  capture  one.  God- 
man  says,  "  Their  favorite  sport  is  sliding,  and  for  this  purpose  in  winter  the 
highest  ridge  of  snow  is  selected,  to  the  top  of  which  the  otters  scramble, 
where,  lying  on  the  belly  with  the  fore  feet  bent  backwards,  they  give  them- 
selves an  impulse  with  their  hind  legs  and  swiftly  glide  head  foremost  down 
the  declivity,  sometimes  for  the  distance  of  twenty  yards.  This  sport  they 
continue  apparently  with  the  keenest  enjoyment  until  fatigue  or  hunger  in- 
duces them  to  desist."  Snow  is  not  necessary  for  this  enjoyment.  They 
relish  a  steep  mud  slide  and  plunge  from  a  creek  or  river  bank  into  the 
depths  of  a  pool  at  all  seasons  quite  as  much.  I  discovered  such  a  slide  on 
the  banks  of  the  Pennsaukin  Creek  near  Lenola,  Burlington  Co.,  N.  J.,  a  few 
years  ago.  This  was  in  the  near  vicinity  of  a  great  otter  den  to  which  I  will 
allude  later  on.  The  slide  was  on  the  face  of  a  blue  clay  exposure  of  the  up- 
per marl  bed,  rising  directly  from  the  waters  of  the  tide  marsh  to  a  height  of 
40  feet  and  at  an  angle  of  65  or  70  degrees.  The  slide  began  at  about  30 
feet  above  the  water  and  descended  to  it,  where  now  only  a  small  stream  re- 
presents the  main  body  of  the  creek  which  once  ran  deep  and  wide  against 
this  wall  of  mud.  So  steep  was  this  slide,  and  when  wet,  and  in  use,  so  slip- 
pery, it  would  have  been  useless  for  sporting  purposes  without  a  diving  pool 
at  the  bottom.  This,  no  doubt,  was  its  former  condition,  but  the  creek  hav- 
ing been  deflected  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  marsh  it  was  used  at  the  time 
I  discovered  it  only  as  a  path ;  the  otters  having  been  previously  driven  from 
their  home  in  that  place  by  the  extensive  excavations  of  a  brick  and  terra 
cotta  works  in  the  clay  bed. 

The  otters  of  the  middle  and  southern  states  are  said  by  Audubon  to  have 
their  young  in  March,  the  number  being  from  i  to  3  in  a  litter.  Owing  to 
the  high  value  always  maintained  in  the  world's  markets  for  the  fur  of  this 
animal,  it  is  the  more  wonderful  how  it  has  escaped  extinction  in  common 
with  other  fur-bearing  American  species.  Over  11,000  pelts  were  reported 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  159 

to  have  been  shipped  from  Canada  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Co.  alone  to  London 
in  1873.  God  man  says  that  over  17,000  were  sent  in  one  year  by  the  same 
company  in  the  early  part  of  the  igth  century.  Their  value  as  a  raw  fur  at 
present  runs  as  high  as  $10  or  $12  for  northern  specimens.  Regarding  the 
home  of  our  otter,  I  will  quote  from  an  account  I  published  on  "  New  Jersey 
Otters"  in  "The  Friend,"  a  Philadelphia  weekly,  under  date  of  February  24, 
1894: 

"Very  few  of  us  have  ever  seen  a  live  otter,  and  perhaps  the  majority  be- 
lieve this  animal  to  have  long  since  become  extinct  in  the  settled  parts  of  the 
Middle  States.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  not  a  rare  inhabitant  of  the  wilder 
parts  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  and  is  occasionally  met  with  in  the 
larger  streams  of  our  more  thickly  populated  districts. 

"  Its  apparent  rarity  is  chiefly  due  to  its  nocturnal  and  aquatic  habits  and 
to  its  extreme  wariness,  and,  as  will  be  shown,  this  deception  is  further 
accomplished  by  its  peculiar  domestic  economy  in  the  construction  of  its 
burrow. 

"By  this  happy  combination  the  otter  exists  among  us  to-day,  the  only 
large  fur-bearing  animal  fitted  to  survive  in  the  midst  of  civilized  surround- 
ings such  as  have  long  since  caused  the  extermination  of  its  former  associates, 
the  panther,  wolf  and  beaver. 

"This  result  cannot  be  attributed  to  the  greater  value  of  the  latter  as 
objects  of  the  chase,  for  the  peltry  of  a  full-grown  otter  is  to-day  worth  much 
more  than  that  of  a  beaver,  and  nearly  thrice  that  of  a  wolf. 

"  Recent  inquiries  into  the  habits  and  distribution  of  our  native  mammals 
have  been  rewarded  by  answers  from  several  correspondents  in  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey,  and  I  have  been  struck  with  the  frequency  with  which  the 
otter  is  made  the  subject  of  them.  The  larger  number  of  these  advices  re- 
lated to  the  presence  of  this  animal  in  New  Jersey.  Among  these  was  a  kind 
note  from  the  editor  of  The  Friend,  stating  that  he  had  seen  a  large  burrow 
(said  to  have  been  the  home  of  an  otter),  while  hunting  fossils  in  a  clay  pit 
on  the  bank  of  Pensaukin  Creek,  near  Lenola,  New  Jersey,  and  I  gladly 
accepted  my  friend's  invitation  to  pay  the  place  a  visit. 

"  The  site  of  this  burrow  was  found  to  lie  in  the  left  bank  of  the  creek,  just 
above  the  bridge  on  the  Camden  &  Burlington  County  Railroad.  It  is  about 
five  miles  from  the  Delaware  River  and  near  the  head  of  the  tide-water 
marsh.  Extensive  and  deep  deposits  of  brick  clay,  overlaid  with  a  thin 
stratum  of  ferruginous  fossil-bearing  marl,  are  here  situated.  In  driving  their 
excavations  through  this  bed,  Augustus  Reeve,  the  owner  of  the  works,  had 
removed  a  wide  and  deep  section  of  the  creek  bank,  both  at  right  angles  and 
parallel  to  the  course  of  the  stream,  leaving  a  steep  section  of  the  face  of  the 
bluff  intact.  Standing  in  the  excavation,  my  attention  was  called  to  two  holes 
high  up  in  the  face  of  this  solid  clay  wall.  One  of  them  was  about  ten  feet 


l6o  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

below  the  original  surface  of  the  bluff  and  fifteen  feet  higher  than  the  creek. 
Its  horizontal  diameter  at  that  point  was  nearly  two  feet,  its  vertical  diameter 
somewhat  less.  It  descended,  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  toward  the  edge  of 
the  marsh,  but  I  failed  to  find  an  opening,  either  above  or  below  the  water, 
at  the  point  indicated.  The  walls  of  this  tunnel  were  quite  smooth  at  the 
sides  and  bottom  and  arched  throughout  with  wonderful  regularity  of  outline 
and  dimensions,  and  exposure  to  the  air  had  so  hardened  the  clay  matrix  as 
to  give  it  the  appearance  of  having  been  chiselled  through  rock.  The  other 
opening  lay  at  about  the  same  level,  fifteen  feet  to  the  right  of  the  first.  It 
was  smaller,  more  circular,  and  seemingly  represented  a  branch  from  the 
other,  appearing  to  join  it  at  an  acute  angle,  about  ten  feet  from  the  edge  of 
the  marsh.  Its  diameter  was  about  ten  inches,  too  narrow  to  allow  two  large 
otters  to  pass  by  each  other.  From  the  appearance  of  these  excavations  I 
was  sure  they  belonged  to  no  animal  whose  home  I  had  hitherto  examined, 
and  after  a  short  search  was  so  fortunate  as  to  find  the  foreman  of  the  brick 
works,  who  had  engineered  the  entire  '  diggings.'  The  first  intimation  he 
had  of  the  presence  of  otters  in  this  locality  was  the  discovery  of  a  large  hole 
in  the  bottom  of  the  creek,  where  it  now  runs  through  the  swamp,  seventy 
yards  from  its  former  channel,  against  the  bluff  occupied  by  the  burrow. 
Otters  had  long  been  reported  as  frequenting  the  creek,  but  he  had  never 
seen  them.  The  occasional  loud  splashing  and  growls  of  an  animal  (not  a 
muskrat)  in  that  spot,  however,  confirmed  his  suspicions  that  the  hole  in  the 
creek  bottom  was  still  frequented  by  these  wary  fishermen.  Not  long  after, 
as  his  men  were  digging  through  the  bluff,  they  broke  into  a  large  chamber, 
*  big  enough  to  hold  a  horse  and  cart.'  This  was  located  six  feet  below  the 
surface  and  about  forty  feet  from  the  edge  of  the  bank.  It  terminated  the 
smaller  burrow,  previously  alluded  to  as  number  two. 

"Subsequent  digging,  a  year  or  two  later,  showed  that  burrow  number  one 
soon  diverged  far  to  the  right  of  the  point  where  I  had  examined  it,  and 
terminated,  at  a  depth  of  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  below  the  top  of  the  bluff,  in 
an  oval  chamber,  much  smaller  than  the  other,  about  six  feet  long  and  three 
feet  high.  This  arm  of  the  Y  was  much  the  longer  of  the  two,  reaching  sixty 
or  seventy  feet  from  its  junction  with  the  first.  The  tunnel  leading  to  it  was 
more  than  twice  the  size  of  that  leading  to  the  larger  chamber.  The  man 
emphatically  dclared  that  these  dormitories  and  passage-ways  contained  no 
litter,  refuse  or  nesting  material,  nor  any  remains  of  the  otter's  food,  nor  did 
he  discover  any  side-pockets  or  offsets,  in  which  the  animals  would  have 
brought  forth  their  young,  other  than  those  already  described. 

"The  following  summary  of  the  construction  of  this  dormitory  or  play- 
house seems  the  most  reasonable  that  can  be  offered  :  It  had  originally  been 
dug  (probably  hundreds  of  years  ago)  from  the  bottom  of  the  creek,  then 
running  deep  against  the  bluff  in  which  it  is  located,  and  had  been  excavated 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  l6l 

at  that  time  to  the  full  extent  observed  by  the  workmen.  It  is  possible  the 
large  amount  of  soil  thrown  out  of  the  excavation  by  the  otters  was  the  ulti- 
mate cause  of  the  obstruction  of  the  creek  and  its  final  abandonment  of  that 
channel  for  the  one  now  occupied  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  marsh.  At 
present  no  sign  of  an  outlet  to  the  burrow  occurs  at  the  foot  of  the  bank,  but 
directly  opposite,  at  the  bottom  of  the  present  stream,  eight  feet  below  the 
surface  and  seventy-five  yards  (estimated)  from  the  clay  bluff,  lies  the  prob- 
able entrance  to  the  burrow.  My  informant  stated  that  this  opening  con- 
nected with  it  by  a  subterranean  passage,  so  deep  below  the  surface  of  the 
marsh  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  find  any  other  inlet  to  it.  To  reach  the 
bank,  the  otters  simply  dove  to  the  creek  bottom,  and  swam  to  it  by  their 
underground  water-way,  in  the  most  perfect  security. 

"The  character  of  the  soil  in  this  spot  and  the  great  depth  of  the  clay  is 
exceptionally  favorable  to  the  construction  of  such  a  refuge,  and  the  steep, 
slippery  face  of  the  bluff  would  afford  an  ideal  sliding-place  for  the  sportive 
companies  that  must  have  formerly  made  this  spot  their  rendezvous.  A  well- 
defined  furrow  down  the  steepest  face  of  the  bank  still  indicates  the  probable 
track  of  their  coasting  parties. 

"  On  searching  through  the  literature  relating  to  the  otter,  it  is  apparent 
that  no  American  author  ascribes  to  this  species  unusual  abilities  in  the  con- 
struction of  its  home.  Indeed,  Dr.  Coues  concludes  that  '  its  fossorial  ability 
and  the  general  intelligence  it  displays  in  the  construction  of  its  retreats  have 
been  greatly  exaggerated  by  some  writers.'  *  Dr.  Merriam,  in  his  'Mammals 
of  the  Adirondacks'  (page  91),  says:  'The  nest  of  the  otter  is  generally 
placed  under  some  shelving  bank  or  uprooted  tree.'  In  'Godman's  Natural 
History'  (vol.  i,  p.  224),  we  have  a  more  explicit  account,  in  which  he  states 
that  the  burrow  is  extensive,  built  in  the  bank  of  a  stream  or  river,  its  entrance 
being  under  water,  and  the  terminus  being  an  air-hole  opening  in  the  midst 
of  a  bush  or  other  place  of  concealment.  Pennant  says  very  much  the  same 
thing,'but  it  is  quite  probable  that  some  of  these  authors  do  not  speak  from 
actual  experience.  Dr.  Coues  admits  that  he  has  never  seen  the  animal  in 
its  native  state,  and  concludes  from  '  the  shape  of  the  fore  limbs  and  condi- 
tion of  the  claws  .  .  .  that  the  mining  operations  of  the  animal  are  neces- 
sarily limited,'  and  adds  :  'It  does  not  appear  that  the  underground  retreats 
of  the  otter  are  constructed  with  the  skill  and  ingenuity  of  even  those  of  the 
muskrat.' 

"That  so  little  should  be  known  of  these  retreats  hitherto  is  easily  under- 
stood, when  we  consider  the  nature  of  the  one  unearthed  on  Pensaukin 
Creek.  Only  by  a  most  unusual  combination  of  circumstances  was  such  a 
discovery  made  possible,  and  it  was  probably  due  to  similar  chance  that  the 

*  North  American  Mustelidae,  p.  316. 


1 62  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

earlier  British  writers  were  enabled  to  ascribe  to  their  otters  those  burrowing 
feats  which  modem  authors  have  been  at  such  pains  to  contradict,  not  on 
their  own  experience,  but  by  pure  analogical  reasoning.  I  am  persuaded 
that  this  Pensaukin  habitation  is  not  unique  in  the  history  of  our  New  Jersey 
otters,  in  proof  of  which  it  may  be  stated  that  I  received  from  the  editor  of 
'The  Friend,'  a  few  days  after  the  examination  of  this  burrow,  the  announce- 
ment of  another  on  the  banks  of  Rancocas  Creek,  near  Masonville.  This  was 
discovered  by  a  hunter,  who,  while  traversing  the  wooded  bank  of  the  creek, 
saw,  to  his  consternation,  a  large  pair  of  eyes  staring  from  the  ground.  These 
were  surmounted  by  a  pair  of  horns,  giving  the  object  a  most  Satanic  appear- 
ance They  were  found  to  belong  to  a  cow,  which  had  unwittingly  caved  into 
the  dormitory  of  an  otter,  and  was  meekly  awaiting  the  fate  which  her  own 
exertions  had  so  nearly  sealed." 

Description  of  species. — Because  of  its  peculiar  shaped,  long,  flattened  body 
and  tail  and  the  very  short  legs,  giving  it  a  most  salamander-like  appearance, 
the  otter  is  recognizable  to  almost  every  one.  It  has  sometimes  been  mis- 
taken for  the  beaver  while  in  the  water,  but  its  supple,  eel-like  movements, 
long  pointed  tail  and  flattened  head  should  quickly  undeceive  the  careful  ob- 
server. The  northern  or  Canadian  otter  is  distinguished  from  the  race  found 
in  southern  N.  J.  and  the  Carolinas  by  its  darker  hue,  being  a  dark  seal  brown 
above ;  lower  head  and  neck  light  Isabella  color ;  remainder  of  lower  parts 
nearly  as  dark  brown  as  the  back.  In  southern  N.  J.  specimens  the  upper 
colors  are  vandyke  brown  tipped  on  upper  head,  neck  and  shoulders  with 
wood  brown ;  below,  broccoli  brown,  the  pale  colors  of  lower  head  and  neck 
sometimes  faded  to  grayish  buff.  The  webs  of  the  feet  in  canadensis  are 
densely  hairy ;  in  lataxina  nearly  naked. 

Measurements  (canadensis)  :  Total  length,  noo  mm.  (43^  in.)  ;  tail 
vertebrae,  420  (16^);  hind  foot,  120  (4^.) ;  (lataxina)  about  the  same 
sized  body  with  larger  hind  foot.  High  upland  specimens  in  any  region  are 
smaller  than  those  from  maritime  marshes  of  the  same  latitude. 

Southeastern  Otter.     Lutra  canadensis  lataxina  (F.  Cuvier). 

1823.  Lutra  lataxina  F.  Cuvier,  Dictionaire  des  Scien.  Naturelles,  vol.  27, 
p.  242. 

1898.  Lutra  canadensis  lataxina  Allen,  Bulletin  Amer.  Museum  Nat.  His- 
tory, N.  York,  vol.  10,  p.  460. 

Type  locality. — South  Carolina. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  and  lower  austral  zones ;  southern  Connecti- 
cut to  Georgia,  west  to  Texas  and  Great  Plains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Lowlands  of  both  states ;  most  typical  in 
lower  Delaware  Valley  and  southeastern  N.  J. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  163 

Records,  habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  data  and  remarks  under 
preceding  species. 


Genus  Mephitis  Cuvier,  Lecons  d1  Anatomic  Compared,  1800,  vol.  i, 
tabl.  i. 

Southeastern  Skunk.     Mephitis  mephitis putida  (G.  Cuvier). 

1798.  Must.[ela]  putida  G.  Cuvier,  Tableau  Elementaire  del'  Histoire 
Naturelle  des  Animaux,  p.  116. 

1901.  Mephitis  putida  Allen,  Bulletin  American  Museum  Nat.  History,  N. 
York,  vol.  14,  p.  333. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  N.  Jersey,  especially  the  region 
now  comprised  in  Philadelphia,  Delaware,  Camden  and  Gloucester  counties. 

Faunal  distribution. — Adopting  HowelFs  restriction  of  the  habitat  of  this 
skunk  (North  American  Fauna,  No.  20)  it  is  found  in  the  lower  Canadian, 
transition  and  upper  austral  zones ;  Maine  to  N.  Carolina,  west  to  Indiana. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Mostly  abundant  and  generally  of  uniform 
distribution  over  our  whole  territory,  but  like  some  other  of  our  mammalia  is 
of  very  rare  and  fortuitous  occurrence  in  many  parts  of  southern  N.  J.  It  is 
most  abundant  in  rocky  hilly  country  covered  with  deciduous  growth,  and  be- 
comes rare  in  extensively  forested  regions  of  coniferous  timber. 

Records  in  N.  J. — The  skunk  is  exceedingly  rare  in  Camden  Co.  I  have 
not  seen  one  in  my  life,  but  have  smelt  them  twice  in  the  last  30  years.  It  is 
not  rare,  in  fact  very  abundant,  according  to  Dr.  T.  P.  Price,  in  certain  parts 
of  Ocean  and  east  Burlington  Cos.  A  few  are  found  in  Cape  May  Co.  In 
west  Burlington  Co.  it  is  rare,  as  also  in  Gloucester  Co.  It  is  stated  by  Mr. 
W.  S.  Williams  to  be  extiuct  in  the  region  around  Greenwich,  Cumberland 
Co.,  though  formerly  plentiful. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Habits,  etc. — So  implicitly  does  the  skunk  rely  on  its  foul-smelling  battery, 
it  often  acts  in  the  most  peculiar  ignorance  of  the  common  laws  of  self  preser- 
vation. If  you  come  upon  one  abroad  in  the  day  time  it  acts  as  if  short 
sighted  or  unconscious  of  your  presence  and  is  likely  to  run  almost  against 
you  before  it  discovers  its  mistake.  Meanwhile  if  you  are  an  ignorant,  timid 
person  you  run  off  and  tell  some  one  you  have  been  attacked  by  a  skunk.  If 
more  courageous,  you  may  kick  or  throw  stones  and  finally  wish  you  had 
done  as  the  timid  person  did.  After  careful  and  painful  study  of  Mr.  Skunk, 
both  in  his  house  and  in  mine,  I  think  him  the  incarnation  of  that  curt,  in- 
elegant, but  often  wholesome  maxim,  "  Mind  your  own  business."  Fortu- 
nately his  poison  is  not  deadly ;  his  fur,  under  more  elegant  names,  is  an 
abiding  source  of  comfort  to  those  who  despise  and  fear  him  most,  and  his 
absent-minded,  patient,  mincing  ways  and  curious  arts  disguise  an  ento- 


1 64  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

mologist  and  herpetologist  whom  farmer  and  scientist  may  take  more  kindly 
into  confidence.  Among  other  services  done  to  the  agricultural  interests  of 
the  state,  Dr.  Warren  secured  a  series  of  answers  from  his  farmer  and 
naturalist  friends  as  to  the  economic  status  of  the  skunk  in  Pa.  These  voice, 
with  notable  exceptions,  the  popular  prejudice  against  this  animal  entertained 
by  those  who  never  take  the  time  to  seek  the  good  side  of  a  disreputable 
thing;  but  the  experience  and  testimony  of  Dr.  Merriam  and  others  who 
have  studied  this  question  show  that  the  skunk  is  the  most  indefatigable  and 
voracious  feeder  on  all  sorts  of  larger  insects,  grasshoppers,  beetles,  cut 
worms,  white  grubs,  etc.,  that  can  be  found  among  the  mammalia.  The 
harm  they  do  is  chiefly  in  the  line  of  robbing  bird's  nests  of  eggs  and  young, 
and  the  destruction  of  poultry.  As  they  cannot  climb,  these  depredations 
are  confined  to  the  ground.  Skunks  fall  a  prey  to  foxes,  wild  cats,  weasels, 
minks  and  large  hawks  and  owls,  but  they  are  generally  let  alone  while  less 
offensive  food  is  obtainable.  Their  meat  is  white  and  well  flavored,  resem- 
bling chicken.  Their  retreats  are  generally  dug  in  the  face  of  a  steep  slope, 
much  as  those  of  the  woodchuck,  whose  burrows  they  sometimes  use. 
Sometimes  they  use  rocky  caverns  or  hollow  logs  for  shelter  and  breeding. 
Being  prolific,  with  as  many  as  8  young  in  a  litter,  they  increase  very  fast 
unless  checked  by  normal  conditions.  Their  furs  average  about  50  cents 
each  ;  black  ones  as  much  as  $1.50.  The  bite  of  a  skunk  under  certain  con- 
ditions has  proved  fatal,  with  symptoms  like  hydrophobia. 

Description  of  species, — All  of  our  skunks  are  black  and  white.  In  general 
terms  the  farther  north  you  go  the  more  black  they  become.  But  there  is  a 
wonderful  variety  of  colors  in  any  part  of  Pa.  and  N.  J.,  some  of  the  blackest 
skins  coming  from  the  lower  Delaware  valley  and  very  light  ones  from  the 
southern  Alleghanies.  The  standard  pattern  of  color  is  black  with  stripes  of 
white  more  or  less  wide  along  the  sides  and  a  white  stripe  from  near  the  nose 
reaching  back  between  eyes  to  a  half-collar  or  ruff  of  white  on  back  of  head. 
The  tail  is  tipped  with  white.  In  the  blackest  specimens  the  white  stripe  be- 
tween the  eyes  is  always  present,  though  often  reduced  to  a  mere  line  or 
spot.  An  examination  of  Howell's  definition  of  the  specific  differences 
claimed  to  exist  between  the  Canadian  skunk,  Mephitis  mephitis,  and  our  Pa. 
and  N.  J.  animal  indicate  clearly  their  non-separability.  I  have  therefore 
made  putida  a  sub-species  or  race  of  mephitis  in  my  classification.  As  but 
one  form  of  skunk  is  to  be  found  in  our  limits,  measurements  are  unnecessary. 

Genus  Gulo  Storr,  Prodromus  Method.  Mammalium,  1780,  p.  34. 
Wolverene;  Glutton;  Carcajou.     Gulo  luscus  (Linnaeus). 
1766.   Ursus  luscus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  71. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  165 

1823.   Gulo  luscus  Sabine,  Franklin's  Narrative,  Journal  to  Polar  Sea,  p.  650. 

Type  locality. — Hudson  Bay. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Arctic,  Hudsonian  and  Canadian  Zones  ;  Atlantic  to 
Pacific  Oceans ;  South  to  Pennsylvania  and  Colorado. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and N.J. — Never  found  in  N.  J.  A  rare  (the  rarest) 
animal  in  Pa.  in  the  early  half  of  the  igth  century.  Even  then  only  found  in 
the  most  boreal  localities  of  the  state  as  a  straggler. 

Records  in  Pa.— Potter  Co.—"C.  C.  Burdette,  hunter,  told  me  of  the  kill- 
ing of  one  on  Pine  Creek  many  years  ago.  One  was  caught  in  a  wolf  trap 
near  Great  Salt  Lick,  Portage  township.  I  think  Joseph  Nelson,  of  Wharton 
township,  caught  it.  I  saw  it,  but  no  one  knew  what  it  was,  nor  ever  saw 
another  like  it.  This  occurred  about  1858." — Austin,  1900.  "Uncle  J.  P. 
Nelson  killed  a  wolverene  in  Potter  Co.  on  the  east  fork  of  the  Sinnemahon- 
ing  in  1863." — Seth  Nelson,  1898.  These  two  records,  coming  to  me  from 
entirely  independent  sources,  and  from  hunters  of  so  much  intelligence,  indi- 
cate that  one  and  the  same  individual  is  referred  to.  The  disparity  in  dates, 
of  5  years,  is  not  surprising  when  memory  alone  furnishes  record  of  an  event 
happening  half  a  century  previously.  So  great  and  long  continued  has  been 
my  friend  Austin's  experience  as  an  original  settler,  hunter,  naturalist,  justice 
of  the  peace  and  historian  m  Potter  Co.,  I  feel  no  hesitation  in  accepting 
this  record.  It  is  attested  by  the  aged  brother  of  the  man  who  killed  the 
animal,  namely,  Seth  Iredale  Nelson,  another  pioneer  in  the  settlement  of 
the  Sinnemahoning,  still  living  at  Round  Island,  and  whom  I  know  by  ac- 
quaintance to  be  a  man  of  great  intelligence  and  experience  as  a  hunter,  and 
a  man  of  strictest  truth.  These  remarks  are  made  because  it  is  the  only 
record  known  to  me  of  the  existence  of  the  wolverene  in  Pa.,  made  by  living 
witnesses  to  the  fact.  Up  to  the  present  time  northern  New  York  was  con- 
sidered their  most  southern  range  in  the  Middle  States,  no  records  of  it  even 
there  being  dated  later  than  the  one  from  Rensselaer  Co.  secured  by  Audubon 
and  Bachman  in  1811.  It  has  been  long  considered  extinct  in  the  Adiron- 
dacks.  So  distinctly  marked,  large  and  peculiarly  shaped  an  animal  as  the 
wolverene  would  not  only  be  recognized  as  a  novelty  by  any  Pa.  trapper  or 
woodman,  but  would  be  identified  quickly  in  any  community  of  average 
intelligence,  much  more  by  the  fur  dealers  with  whom  they  traded.  The 
only  other  record  of  this  animal  in  Pa.  that  I  have  discovered  is  in  Stokley's 
"Observations  on  Mercer  Co.,  Pa.,"  published  in  the  Memoirs  of  the  Penna. 
Historical  Society,  1846,  vol.  4,  p.  77.  In  this  he  enumerates  the  animals  of 
the  county,  then  covering  a  much  larger  and  more  mountainous  area  than 
now.  He  says  that  there  were  found  still  in  the  county  at  that  date,  "  A  very 
few  white  hares  and  an  animal  called  the  wolverene,  supposed  to  be  engen- 
dered between  a  fox  and  a  wild  cat,  never  taken  by  white  man  and  rarely  by 
Indians."  I  hope  that  these  remarks  may  stir  up  the  memory  or  unspoken 


1 66  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

knowledge  of  other  instances,  where  this  peculiar,  carnivorous  and  fur  bear- 
ing animal  may  have  been  captured  or  seen  in  our  limits. 

Habits,  etc. — For  its  size,  which  is  about  equal  to  that  of  a  bear  cub  of  6 
months,  there  is  not  a  more  powerful,  voracious,  cunning  and  fearless  animal 
than  the  wolverene.  The  most  fabulous  accounts  of  it  were  given  by  earlier 
writers.  Dr.  Coues,  in  his  Monograph  of  the  Fur-bearing  Animals,  p.  45, 
sums  up  its  real  character  thus  :  The  wolverene  "  is  simply  an  uncommonly 
large,  clumsy,  shaggy  marten  or  weasel,  of  great  strength,  without  corre- 
sponding agility,  highly  carnivorous,  like  the  rest  of  its  tribe,  and  displaying 
great  perseverance  and  sagacity  in  procuring  food.  It  is  imperfectly  planti- 
grade and  does  not  climb  trees  like  most  of  its  allies.  It  lives  in  dens  or  bur- 
rows and  does  not  hibernate.  It  feeds  upon  the  carcasses  of  large  animals 
which  it  finds  already  slain,  but  does  not  destroy  such  creatures  itself,  its 
ordinary  prey  being  of  a  much  humbler  character.  It  is  a  notorious  thief, 
not  only  of.  stores  of  meat  and  fish  laid  up  by  the  natives  of  the  countries  it 
inhabits,  the  baits  of  their  traps  and  the  animals  so  caught,  but  also  of  articles 
of  no  possible  service  to  itself;  and  avoids  with  most  admirable  cunning  the 
various  methods  devised  for  its  destruction  in  retaliation."  They  have  their 
young  in  underground  burrows.  There  are  four  or  five  in  a  litter,  born  in 
June  or  July.  When  surprised  at  large  with  her  young  the  female  is  more 
aggressive  and  dangerous  than  a  bear  in  the  same  situation.  One  of  the 
most  peculiar  actions  which  has  been  observed  in  the  wolverene  is  the  shad- 
ing of  its  eyes  by  the  fore  paws  when  gazing  at  an  object  of  sudden  surprise 
or  fear,  especially  a  man.  This  action  is  evidently  done  for  the  same  reason 
that  would  induce  a  short-sighted  person,  or  one  blinded  by  sunshine,  to 
shade  their  eyes  under  similar  circumstances.  The  fur  of  this  animal  is  most 
highly  prized  by  the  natives  of  the  fur  countries,  the  Kamtschatkans  saying 
that  "the  heavenly  beings  wear  no  other  furs"  than  these.  They  form  a 
considerable  fraction  of  the  importations  to  London  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Co., 
1,104  being  sent  in  1868. 

Description  of  species. — Legs,  short ;  when  in  motion,  back  high-arched, 
body  drooping  fore  and  aft,  tail  and  head  carried  low,  looking  like  a  shaggy 
bear  cub  with  a  bushy  tail.  Tail  thickly  clothed  with  hair  four  to  eight 
inches  long,  shortest  near  the  body,  longest  at  tips,  and  drooping,  the  whole 
tail  looking  like  that  of  a  moderately  docked  horse  whose  tail  has  not  been 
trimmed  for  a  long  while.  Ears  short,  rounded.  Color,  blackish  or  deep 
dusky  brown,  a  peculiar  broad  stripe  of  chestnut  or  yellowish  brown  or 
whitish  clay  color  reaching  from  behind  the  shoulders  and  along  the  sides, 
meeting  on  the  rump  that  of  the  opposite  side,  almost  enclosing  a  dark  patch 
along  the  middle  of  the  back  which  reaches  the  neck  and  head.  Whitish 
and  yellowish  patches  are  found  on  the  sides  of  head  and  on  throat  and 
breast.  Very  young  ones  are  of  a  general  creamy  color. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  167 

Measurements.  —  Total  length,  969  mm.  (38  in.)  :  tail  vertebrae,  200  (8)  j 
hind  foot,  170 


Genus  Putorius  Cuvier,  Regne  Animal,  1817,  vol.  i,  p.  147. 
Northeastern  Mink.    Putorius  vison  (Schreber). 

1778.  Mustela  vison  Schreber,  Saugthiere,  vol.  3,  p.  463. 

1830.  Putorius  vison  Gapper,  Zoological  Journal,  vol.  5,  p.  202. 

Type  locality.  —  Eastern  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution  —  Lower  Arctic,  Hudsonian  and  Canadian  zones. 
Great  Slave  Lake,  Hudson  Bay,  Atlantic  Ocean,  northern  Pennsylvania. 
lower  Great  Lakes  and  the  Rocky  Mts.  enclose  the  habitat  of  this  species  ; 
replaced  in  the  southeast  by  lutreocephalus,  next  considered. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.  —  The  typical  Canadian  form  is  not  found  in 
N.  J.  In  Pa.  it  is  numerous  in  the  most  boreal  mountain  areas  of  the  north- 
ern border.  It  is  the  form  named  by  Audubon  and  Bachman  Putorius 
nigrescens,  or  "  mountain  mink." 

Habits,  description  of  species,  etc.  —  See  next,  under  Southeastern  Mink. 

Southeastern  Mink.     Putorius  vison  lutreocephalus  (Harlan). 

1825.  Mustela  lutreocephala  Harlan,  Fauna  Americana,  p.  63. 

1896.  Putorius  vison  lutreocephalus  Bangs,  Proceedings  Boston  Society 
Natural  History,  vol.  27,  p.  4. 

Type  locality.  —  Maryland. 

Faunal  distribution.  —  Transition  and  upper  austral  zones,  Connecticut  to 
South  Carolina,  Atlantic  Ocean  to  Rocky  Mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.  —  Abundant  or  represented  sparingly  along 
all  watercourses  in  our  limits,  except  where  replaced  by  the  northern  mink, 
P.  vison. 

Habits,  etc.  —  The  mink  is  essentially  an  amphibious  animal,  second  only  in 
aquatic  feats  to  the  otters  in  the  family  Mustelidce.  It  is  much  more  at  home 
on  land  than  the  otter,  however,  and  on  this  account  makes  numerous  and 
often  persistent  raids  on  poultry  some  distance  from  water,  in  this  respect 
showing  its  affinity  to  the  weasels.  Fish  form  a  large  part  of  its  diet,  and  its 
destruction  of  these  (especially  of  the  brook  trout  and  other  game  fish) 
owing  to  its  abundance  as  compared  with  the  otter,  makes  it  a  serious  pest  to 
anglers.  It  also  destroys  birds  and  eggs,  cray-fish,  frogs  and  batrachians  to  a 
small  extent.  It  is  an  accomplished  and  persistent  mouser  after  the  meadow 
voles  which  abound  in  its  chosen  haunts,  and  is  also  the  most  deadly  wild 
enemy  of  the  muskrat.  Dr.  Warren  summarizes  his  reports  concerning  the 
mink  as  showing  that  it  is  a  noxious  species  which  should  be  suppressed  in 


1  68  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

every  practicable  way.  As  its  fur  is  of  considerable  value  there  is  little  fear 
however  that  they  will  ever  be  so  numerous  as  to  become  a  plague.  The 
burrows  of  the  mink  are  made  in  banks  near  or  along  watercourses,  though 
sometimes  they  take  possession  of  a  hollow  log  and  there  have  their  young. 
The  latter  number  5  or  6,  though  as  many  as  10  have  been  noted  in 
minkeries.  The  period  of  gestation  is  6  weeks.  The  difference  in  size  of 
the  males  and  females  when  grown  is  not  so  great  as  in  the  weasels,  the 
female  mink  weighing  about  i^  pounds,  the  male  y?,  pound  more.  The 
minkeries  alluded  to  are  places  where  these  animals  are  raised  for  the  same 
purposes  as  the  European  ferret.  They  are  easily  tamed,  make  excellent 
ratters,  hunt  vigorously  and  soon  exterminate  these  pests.  Other  minkeries 
breed  the  minks  for  their  fur  to  profit.  The  average  values  of  raw  mink  furs 
(northern  Pa.)  run  from  50  cents  to  $1.50. 

Description  of  species.  —  The  mink  is  readily  distinguished  from  any  of  our 
eastern  weasels  by  its  larger  size,  stouter  body,  uniform  brown  color  and 
bushy  tail.  From  the  marten  it  may  be  also  known  by  its  unicolor  body  and 
the  shortness  of  its  tail  and  ears.  In  size  the  marten  is  somewhat  larger,  and 
much  longer  furred.  Nearly  all  minks  have  a  -white  spot  or  spots  on  the 
breast,  a  peculiarity  shared  by  nearly  all  the  Mustelidcz.  The  northern 
species,  vison  typicus,  is  a  much  darker  seal  brown  (sometimes  nearly  black) 
than  the  southeastern  mink,  lutreocephalus.  The  latter  on  the  Carolina  coasts 
becomes  a  sort  of  yellowish  brown  and  with  shorter,  less  dense  and  less 
marketable  fur.  The  southern  race  is  larger  than  the  mountain  mink. 

Measurements  (z'ifon).  —  Total  length,  520  mm.  (20^  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae, 
!85  (7#)  ;  hind  foot»  55  (2r\)  J   (lutreocephalus}—  635  (27)  ;  210 
70 


Bonaparte's  Weasel,  Lesser  or  Short-tailed  Weasel.  Putorius 
cicognani  (Bonaparte). 

1838.  Mustela    cicognanii  Bonaparte,   Iconograph.   Fauna   Italia,  vol.   i, 
fascic.  22,  p.  4. 

1839.  Putorius  cicognanii  Richardson,  Zoology  of  Beechey's  Voyage  of  the 
Blossom,  p.  10. 

Type  locality.  —  Northeastern  North  America. 

Faunal  distribution.  —  Hudsonian,  Canadian  aud  upper  transition  zones  ; 
Atlantic  Ocean  to  Lake  Winnipeg  in  the  north  and  Rocky  Mountains  in  the 
south. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.  —  A  very  rare  animal  ;  only  found  in  the 
most  boreal  situations  in  Pa.  None  have  come  to  notice  from  N.  J.  Bangs' 
record  of  it  from  Long  Island  I  am  inclined  to  question.  Miller  includes 
the  whole  transition  zone  in  their  habitat  and  surmises  that  the  upper  austral 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  169 

may  be  invaded  by  them.  This  scheme  of  distribution  will  not  apply  to  Pa. 
and  N.  J.  Indeed,  it  was  only  by  the  most  assiduous  search  among  many 
hunter?,  trappers  and  taxidermists  that  I  was  able  to  secure  the  first  authen- 
ticated specimen  of  Pa.  cicognani,  the  many  reports  of  such  as  I  have  investi- 
gated proving  with  two  exceptions  to  be  females  of  noveboracensis,  the  com- 
mon long-tailed  weasel  of  the  eastern  U.  States. 

Records  in  Pa. — (In  general.)  "The  least  weasel,  according  to  the  best 
information  obtained  from  local  naturalists  throughout  the  state,  does  not 
appear  to  be  of  very  frequent  occurrence.  In  fact  quite  a  number  of  zoolog- 
ical students  who  are  believed  to  be  entirely  competent  to  distinguish  both 
species,  report  the  least  weasel  to  be  rare  or  unknown  in  their  localities. 
Mr.  George  P.  Friant,  of  Scranton,  Penna.,  during  the  past  10  years  has  had 
over  100  weasels  taken  within  a  radius  of  25  miles  of  his  home,  and  of  these 
not  more  than  3  or  4  were  the  smaller  species.  The  experience  of  Mr.  Chas. 
H.  Eldon,  taxidermist  of  Williamsport,  Penna.,  is  very  similar  to  that  of  Mr. 
Friant.  During  the  past  8  years  the  writer  has  collected  zoological  speci- 
mens in  almost  every  county  of  the  state,  and  in  a  collection  of  70  odd  speci- 
mens (of  weasels)  at  least  6  were  of  the  small  kind.  From  evidence  at  hand 
it  seems  that  the  least  weasel  is  to  be  found  in  the  northern  and  mountainous 
regions  of  Pennsylvania,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  more  plentiful  than 
some  observers  and  writers  believe." — Warren,  Poultry  Book,  p.  422.  Dr. 
Warren  adds  that  75  weasel  skins  which  he  had  were  burned  with  the  Pa. 
State  capitol  in  1897,  so  that  he  could  not  name  the  localities  from  which  the 
least  weasels  came. 

Lackawanna  Co. — In  January,  1902,  I  visited  Mr.  C.  P.  Friant,  of  Scran- 
ton,  who  kindly  presented  me  with  a  skin  of  Bonaparte's  weasel  in  summer 
coat,  which  had  been  taken  by  a  boy  in  the  city  limits  of  Scranton  in  1900. 
This  specimen  I  deposited  in  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences.  Mr.  Friant 
had  previously  written  me  in  1900  :  "The  last  lesser  weasel  I  recall  having 
mounted  was  for  a  Mr.  Smith  who  died  soon  after  and  I  can't  trace  the  speci- 
men. I  have  mounted  3  in  the  last  10  years.  I  have  no  doubt  that  they 
were  the  species  you  designate  as  compared  with  the  common  weasel,"  of 
which  he  had  mounted  and  handled  a  great  number. — Rhoads. 

Sullivan  Co. — There  is  a  very  small  weasel  up  here  which  turns  white  in 
winter.  Not  positive  of  its  identity. — Behr,  1900.  Mr.  Behr  has  since 
trapped  eight  or  more  weasels  near  Lopez  in  the  winter  of  igoo-'oi  to  prove 
that  he  has  seen  the  species,  but  all  of  them  were  nweboracensis.  Most  of 
them  were  sent  in  spirits  to  the  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  where  I  examined 
them.  This  is  one  of  the  best  proofs  of  the  great  scarcity  of  cicognani,  even 
in  the  most  boreal  part  of  the  state. 

Wayne  Co. — An  adult  female  cicognani,  No.  4280  of  my  collection  of 
mammals,  was  sent  me  in  the  flesh  by  Mr.  L.  N.  Goodnough,  of  Wayne  Co., 


I7O  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Pa.  He  trapped  it  on  a  rocky  hill  near  Rileyville,  Dec.  2,  1900.  It  is  in 
full  winter  pelage.  Mr.  Goodnough  writes  :  "  I  killed  one  of  the  same  kind 
about  40  years  ago  in  Wayne  Co.  It  had  carried  12  small  chicks  to  a  pile  of 
stones."  As  Mr.  Goodnough  is  a  trapper  in  a  wild  country,  often  capturing 
weasels,  the  fact  of  his  only  seeing  2  in  40  years  in  this  part  of  the  lower 
Canadian  fauna  is  further  evidence  of  the  rarity  of  cicognani  in  Pa. 

Habits,  description  of  species,  etc. — See  under  next  species — P.  novebora- 
censis. 

New  York  Weasel,  Common  Weasel,  Long-tailed  Weasel.  Putor- 
t'us  noveboracensis  Emmons. 

1840.  Putorius  noveboracensis  Emmons,  Report  Quadrupeds  Massachu- 
setts, p.  45. 

Type  locality.— Southern  New  York. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian,  transition  and  upper  austral  zones ;  south- 
ern New  England  to  the  Carolinas,  west  to  Mississippi  Valley. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — More  or  less  numerous  in  all  situations  and 
regions  of  both  states.  Least  abundant  in  the  pine  barrens  and  maritime 
regions  of  southern  N.  J. 

Habits,  etc. — Unceasing  activity,  boldness  and  rapacity  characterize  all  our 
weasels.  They  are  the  incarnation  of  blood-guiltiness  and  the  death-dealing 
life.  Dr.  Coues  has  in  his  masterly  style  given  us  a  vivid  picture  of  the  living 
appearance  of  this  animal :  "  A  glance  at  the  physiognomy  of  the  weasels 
would  suffice  to  betray  their  character  ;  the  teeth  are  almost  of  the  highest 
known  raptorial  character,  the  jaws  are  worked  by  enormous  masses  of  mus- 
cles covering  all  the  sides  of  the  skull ;  the  forehead  is  low  and  the  nose  is 
sharp ;  the  eyes  are  small,  penetrating,  cunning,  and  glitter  with  an  angry, 
green  light.  When  the  animal  is  glancing  around  with  the  neck  stretched 
up  and  the  flat,  triangular  head  bent  forward  and  swaying  from  one  side  to 
the  other,  we  catch  the  likeness  in  a  moment — it  is  the  image  of  a  serpent." 

The  weasel  climbs  trees  with  great  ease,  leaping  about  among  the  branches 
like  a  squirrel.  It  also  has  the  habit  of  raising  up  on  its  hind  legs  and  cran- 
ing the  neck  about  in  making  its  observations.  Its  climbing  feats  enable  it 
to  pursue  and  destroy  many  animals  which  would  otherwise  escape  and  do 
escape  the  depredations  of  skunks,  minks  and  other  non-climbing  members 
of  this  carnivorous  family.  On  this  account  the  weasel  is  the  more  obnoxious 
to  birds  than  the  others  named.  While  the  weasel  is  pre-eminently  a  mouser, 
its  preference  for  forests  largely  confines  its  depredations  along  this  line  to 
species  of  murida  which  have  little  direct  economic  significance  to  man. 
When  a  weasel  visits  a  rat-or-mouse-infested  barn  it  quickly  rids  the  premises 
of  such  vermin,  but  as  they  are  ever  on  the  move,  the  riddance  is  only  tem- 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  1 7* 

porary,  and  when  the  mice  fail  them  they  begin  to  destroy  the  farmer's 
poultry  at  such  a  rate  as  quickly  counteracts  their  good  services.  The  man- 
ner of  killing  its  smaller  prey  is  by  a  bite  on  the  head.  The  brain  is  often 
the  only  part  eaten.  Its  blood-sucking  has  been  greatly  exaggerated.  Where 
many  small,  or  a  large  animal,  like  a  rabbit  or  fowl,  is  killed,  they  could  drink 
but  little,  owing  to  lack  of  capacity.  Dr.  Warren,  quoting  Hugh  Malloy,  of 
Luzerne  Co.,  Pa.,  who  has  made  a  specialty  of  weasel  hunting  and  trapping, 
narrates  some  points  regarding  their  habits  which  may  be  summarized. 
Malloy  declares  they  never  rest,  but  are  always  killing,  summer  and  winter ; 
even  when  snow  was  8  inches  deep  and  the  mercury  7  degrees  below  zero, 
he  was  unable  to  catch  up  with  one  by  tracking  when  the  weasel  was  on  a 
hunting  journey.  On  one  occasion  he  found  "  eleven  dead  rabbits,"  killed 
by  a  weasel  along  whose  track  in  the  snow  he  had  followed.  All  these  were 
"  either  hidden  in  the  hole  that  they  were  started  from,  or  pulled  under  the 
snow,  sometimes  20  feet  to  some  brush  pile."  These  rabbits  are  killed  by 
biting  between  the  ear  and  eye,  the  wound  being  so  small  it  is  difficult  to 
find.  Regarding  its  capacity  for  blood  he  says  it  "  has  great  digestive  powers. 
I  find  when  it  is  getting  all  the  blood  it  wants,  that  in  about  every  20  yards 
in  the  snow  you  will  find  its  excreta  about  ^  inch  long,  thick  as  a  slate  pen- 
cil and  like  frozen  blood."  They  do  not  kill  old  pheasants  (grouse),  but 
destroy  many  young  ones.  Quails  are  a  favorite  winter  food,  at  night  whole 
coveys  being  destroyed  at  once,  and  when  found  in  spring  are  supposed  to 
have  been  frozen  or  starved  to  death  in  snow-drifts.  Malloy  found  in  one 
place  100  quail  thus  killed,  a  small  mark  at  base  of  head  showing  what  the 
murderer  had  been.  They  track  rabbits  with  great  perseverance  over  snow 
or  bare  ground  by  the  power  of  scent,  and  rarely  give  up  the  hunt  till  the 
rabbit  is  dead.  The  weasel  often  burrows  long,  deep  and  intricate  passage- 
ways for  its  home  in  some  bank.  John  Burroughs  describes  how  he  watched 
one  of  these  (probably  cicognani)  make  repeated  journeys  over  a  certain 
course  in  the  woods  from  such  a  bank  into  the  swamp,  returning  every  few 
minutes  with  a  mouse  (probably  Evotomys)  which  was  stored  in  this  burrow. 
As  I  remember,  a  score  or  two  of  mice  were  thus  stored  away  while  Burroughs 
sat  watching  the  extraordinary  feat.  In  attempting  to  unearth  this  cache 
Burroughs  was  completely  baffled  by  the  extent  and  windings  of  the  burrow. 
They  oftener  hide  and  make  their  homes  in  stone  heaps  and  rock  piles.  The 
young  are  said  to  number  on  the  average  5  or  6  in  a  litter,  born  in  April  or 
May.  In  defending  these  they  defy  and  attack  any  large  animal,  fastening 
upon  them  until  killed. 

Description  of  species. — The  lesser  weasel  (cicognani)  may  immediately  be 
distinguished  from  its  associate,  our  common  species,  noveboracensis,  by  the 
relative  shortness  of  the  tail,  that  member  rarely  exceeding,  in  the  male,  3 
inches,  and  in  the  female,  2^/z  inches,  whereas  in  the  other  species  the  males 


172  MAMMALS  OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

have  tails  5^  to  6  in.  long  and  the  females  4^  inches.  It  should  be  noted 
that  the  size  of  the  females  in  both  species  is  %  to  almost  y$  less  than  that 
of  the  males  (see  measurements).  On  this  account  small  females  of  nove- 
boracensis  are  about  the  same  size  as  large  males  of  dcognani,  but  the  differ- 
ence in  the  length  of  tail  between  these  is  striking.  Bonaparte's  weasel  always 
turns  white  in  winter  even  in  its  most  southern  distribution,  but  the  N.  York 
weasel  in  the  transition  and  austral  zones  very  rarely  turns  white,  the  winter 
pelage  being  merely  paler  than  that  of  summer.  In  the  most  boreal  localities 
of  Pa.  the  N.  York  weasel  turns  white  in  about  25  to  50  per  cent,  of  the  cases 
observed  by  me.  Whether  the  special  conditions  of  a  forested  or  deforested 
environment,  or  of  severity  of  weather  or  amount  of  snow-fall,  cause  this  in- 
dividual variation  in  winter  pelage  among  the  weasels  of  a  given  locality,  I 
am  unable  to  say.  Regarding  the  real  conditions  as  they  exist  in  northwestern 
Pa.,  Malloy  writes  :  "  I  do  not  believe  there  are  any  white  weasels  in  summer, 
but  I  do  know  that  they  are  dark  brown,  light  brown,  dark  red  and  light  red 
in  winter  and  that  I  have  caught  them  every  week  from  Dec.  i  until  April  /. 
I  caught  a  dark  brown,  a  dark  red  and  a  pure  white  all  in  one  night  but  at 
different  places.  I  never  caught  a  maltese  weasel  in  winter  but  have  caught 
many  of  them  in  summer."  This  experience  tallies  exactly  with  that  of  Mr. 
Behr,  in  Sullivan  Co.  I  have  a  white  winter  weasel  taken  in  Camden  Co.  a 
few  years  ago  and  brought  to  me  in  the  flesh.  Regarding  this  seasonal  change 
of  color  in  weasels,  it  should  be  understood  that  it  is  accomplished  solely  by 
molting,  the  new  hair,  whether  brown  or  white,  not  altering  its  color,  except 
from  exposure  and  wear,  from  the  time  of  its  first  appearance  on  the  surface 
of  the  skin  until  it  is  shed  again  the  next  season.  While  this  new  brown  or 
white  coat  is  growing,  the  old  is  slowly  falling  out,  giving  sometimes  a  patchy, 
at  others  a  peculiar  faded,  semi-white,  appearance.  This  has  given  rise  to 
the  popular  idea  that  the  color  of  the  old  hair  is  changing  either  to  brown  or 
white,  as  the  case  may  be.  In  no  case  of  bird  or  mammal  is  a  fundamental 
color  change  caused  by  the  voluntary  action  of  the  individual  or  by  any  other 
normal  force  upon  feathers  or  hair  after  these  have  once  pierced  the  skin. 

The  pattern  of  coloration  in  summer,  as  well  as  the  tint  in  the  two  species 
now  considered,  is  essentially  the  same,  viz :  dark  or  liver-brown  above,  in- 
cluding tail,  legs  and  head  except  lower  jaw,  white  below,  tip  of  tail  black  at 
all  seasons ;  this  tip  being  relatively  long  in  the  large,  and  short  in  small,  spe- 
cies. In  the  larger  species  the  under  parts  are  often  pale  sulphur  yellow. 

Measurements. —  (dcognani.}  Total  length,  male,  285  mm.  (n^  in.), 
female,  225  (10);  tail  vertebrae,  male,  77  ($%},  female,  69  (2^);  hind 
foot,  male,  37  (i^),  female,  30  (i^).  In  the  same  order,  measurements 
for  noveboracensis  are  :  male,  405  ( 16),  female,  325  (12^);  male, 
female  108  (4^)  ;  male,  47  (i^),  female,  34 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  173 

AUeghenian  Least  Weasel.     Putonus  allegheniensis  Rhoads. 

1900.  Putonus  allegheniensis  Rhoads,  Proceedings  Academy  Natural 
Sciences,  Phila.,  p.  751.  Issued  Feb.  7,  1901. 

Type  locality. — Near  Beallsville,  Washington  Co.,  Pennsylvania. 

Faunal  distribution. — Unknown ;  probably  Canadian  and  transition  zones, 
southern  Alleghenies  northward. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Not  found  in  N.  J.  For  distribution  in  Pa. 
see  original  description  following,  as  also  for  Records,  Description  of  species, 
etc. 

Owing  to  the  rather  remarkable  discovery  of  this  species  in  a  region  so 
long  ransacked  by  naturalists,  I  may  be  justified  in  giving  at  some  length  the 
original  announcement  of  its  discovery.  Nothing  further  than  this  has  been 
published,  to  my  knowledge,  concerning  it,  although  Mr.  Todd,  of  the  Car- 
negie Museum,  has  since  then  strenuously  endeavored  to  get  more  specimens. 
The  description  follows  : 

A  NEW  WEASEL  FROM  WESTERN  PENNSYLVANIA. 

"  One  of  the  most  unlooked-for  results  of  recent  systematic  field  study  of 
smaller  mammals  inhabiting  the  settled  and  populous  areas  of  the  Eastern 
States  is  the  discovery  of  a  small  weasel  in  the  regions  contiguous  to  the  city 
of  Pittsburgh.  Fortunately  three  specimens  have  been  secured,  each  repre- 
senting a  phase  of  pelage  characteristic  of  the  seasonal  moult.  This  weasel  is 
allied  to  the  minute  Arctic  and  Canadian  Putorius  rixosus  Bangs,  being  some- 
what larger  than  rixosus  and  less  than  half  the  size  of  P.  cicognani,  the  small- 
est species  hitherto  recorded  from  the  Middle  States.  It  may  be  diagnosed 
as  follows : 

Putorius  allegheniensis  sp.  nov.     Allegheny  Weasel. 

Type,  No.  6195,  adult,  Museum  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of 
Philadelphia.  Captured  by  Robert  Hawkins,  near  Beallsville,  Washington 
county,  Pa.,  about  the  year  1885  or  1886. 

"  Description  of  the  type. — In  size  and  color  it  resembles  Putorius  rixosus 
Bangs  from  the  Saskatchewan,  B.  A.,  but  larger,  darker  and  more  thinly 
furred.  Skull  broader  and  flatter,  with  interorbital  space  high,  tumid  and 
constricted  posteriorly.  No  supraorbital  ridges. 

"  Color  (summer  pelage). — Upper  parts  walnut-brown,  abruptly  separated 
from  the  pure  white  of  under  parts,  the  line  of  demarcation  running  from 
nasal  pad  along  border  of  upper  lip,  through  base  of  whiskers,  just  below  base 
of  ear,  along  median  lateral  line  of  neck  to  anterior  base  of  shoulder ;  thence 
down  anterior  profile  of  foreleg  to  elbow,  rising  thence  along  posterior  profile 
of  leg  to  and  along  median  lateral  body  line  to  flank,  thence  to  heel  and 
posterior  thigh  as  on  foreleg,  rising  and  encircling  anal  region  to  lower  base 


174  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

of  tail.  Tail  colored  like  back  with  some  scattering  white  hairs  at  tip  (ex- 
treme tip  apparently  missing).  Forefeet  and  lower  foreleg  white  ;  hind  feet 
white  only  on  toes  and  inside  border.  Whiskers  mixed  brown  and  white.  The 
color  areas  occupied  respectively  by  brown  and  white  are  almost  exactly 
divided  in  equal  parts.  Compared  with  the  type  of  rixosus  and  another 
summer  specimen  from  Moose  Factory,  Hudson  Bay,  the  type  of  alleghenien- 
sis  is  much  darker  and  duller  hued. 

"Measurements  (of  type,  a  well-mounted  specimen,  but  undoubtedly 
stretched). — Total  length,  199;  tail  without  hairs  of  tip,  19;  hind  foot,  20. 
Skull:  Basilar  length,  29;  zygomatic  width,  15.3;  mastoid  width,  14;  inter- 
orbital  constriction,  6  ;  greatest  mandibular  length,  16.5. 

"Description  of  two  other  specimens. — No.  4279,  Coll.  of  S.  N.  Rhoads; 
young  adult  (sex  undetermined),  cotype,  in  late  winter  early  pelage,  collected 
by  aforesaid  R.  Hawkins,  near  Beallsville,  Washington  county,  Pa.,  about  the 
year  1885  or  1886. 

"  Color. — Everywhere  pure  white  except  on  head,  where  brown  summer  fur 
is  appearing,  also  about  15  dark  brown  and  blackish  hairs  at  tip  of  tail. 

"Measurements  (specimen  is  a  mummy,  preserved  without  skinning,  having 
been  eviscerated,  poisoned  and  wired  to  a  stand  erect  on  its  haunches.  On 
this  account  its  tail  and  body  measurements  are  of  real  value  after  allowing 
an  increase  of  five  per  cent,  for  shrinkage  of  intervertebral  tissue). — Total 
length,  145;  tail  vertebrae,  22;  hind  foot,  20.  bkull :  Basilar  length,  28; 
zygomatic  width,  14.7  ;  greatest  mandibular  length,  15.8. 

«  No.  -^p,  adult  female,  Coll.  of  the  Carnegie  Museum,  collected  by  Wil- 
liam Seager,  near  Leetsdale,  Allegheny  county,  Pa.,  April  25,  1898.  This 
interesting  specimen  is  in  the  shape  of  a  cabinet  skin,  with  anterior  half  of 
skull  attached  to  lips  and  without  sex  mark  or  measurements  on  label.  I 
have  determined  its  sex  by  the  series  of  teats,  evidently  those  of  a  female 
having  nursed  young  the  previous  season.  The  skull  and  teeth  indicate  full 
maturity.  The  pelage  is  changing  from  winter  to  summer  garb,  this  change 
appearing  to  have  but  recently  begun. 

"  Color. — White,  except  an  irregular  mottled  stripe  of  brown,  well  defined 
on  head  between  nose,  eyes  and  ears,  narrowing  along  neck  and  back  with 
wider  areas  at  shoulders  and  hips  and  disappearing  on  hind  rump.  Tail  white 
with  about  20  brown-black  hairs  at  tip  almost  concealed  by  surrounding  white 
hairs.  A  faint  mottling  of  brown  is  appearing  on  all  four  legs  and  the  upper 
hind  feet. 

"Measurements  (skin  stretched). — Total  length,  175;  tail,  22;  hind 
foot,  20. 

"The  two  Beallsville  specimens  were  kindly  loaned  to  me  October  27, 
1899,  by  Mr.  Jacob  Nease,  of  Washington,  Pa.,  in  response  to  a  circular, 
widely  distributed  in  the  State,  requesting  information  concerning  certain 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY.  175 

rare  mammals.  The  size  of  these  tiny  weasels,  so  different  from  anything  to 
be  expected  from  that  region,  raised  the  question  of  their  being  a  genuine 
Pennsylvania  product,  and  I  wrote  Mr.  Nease  for  particulars.  In  answer, 
Mr.  James  S.  Nease,  who  conducted  the  entire  correspondence  on  the  subject 
for  his  father,  Jacob  Nease,  to  whom  the  specimens  belonged,  sent  me  the 
following  letter : 

"  *  BEALLSVILLE,  Pa.,  11-6-1899. 
"  '  MR.  JAS.  S.  NEASE,  WASHINGTON,  PA. 

"'  Dear  Sir :  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  ad  inst.,  I  have  consulted  father  in 
regard  to  the  weasels  which  he  sent  your  father  to  have  stuffed.  They  were 
caught  under  dead-falls  set  for  skunks,  and  of  course  were  wild  as  any  weasel. 
Father  remembers  well  of  catching  them  and  sending  them  up,  and  got  one 
or  two  he  did  not  send,  but  has  not  seen  any  since  then,  some  ten  or  fifteen 
years  ago,  if  memory  serves  him  right.  They  were  caught  when  the  bounty 
was  on  hawks  and  owls.* 

" '  Very  truly,  J.  W.  HAWKINS." 

"  While  there  seemed  to  be  no  question  as  to  the  statements  of  the  gentle- 
men above  mentioned,  the  publication  of  them  was  deferred  nearly  a  year, 
when  I  was  unexpectedly  confronted  with  the  specimen  in  the  collection  of 
the  Carnegie  Museum.  As  it  had  been  taken  along  the  Ohio  river,  only  a 
few  miles  below  Pittsburg,  by  a  resident  collector  regularly  employed  by  the 
Museum,  it  was  accepted  as  conclusive  evidence  that  these  weasels  are 
indigenous  and  living  in  those  parts. 

"  Regarding  the  affinity  of  allegheniemis  with  rixosus,  it  may  be  stated  that 
the  nearest  localities  from  which  the  latter  has  been  recorded  are  Moose 
Factory,  Ontario,  and  Pembina,  Minnesota,  the  latter  being  the  specimen 
mentioned  by  Prof.  Baird  under  'Putorius  pusillus  Dekay '  in  the  Pacific  R. 
R.  Reports.  It  will  be  seen  that  there  is  an  immense  stretch  of  territory 
between  these  places  and  Pittsburgh,  besides  the  great  difference  in  the  faunal 
position  of  the  localities.  That  the  habitat  of  these  weasels  shall  prove  to  be 
continuous  through  the  Appalachian  system  from  Ontario  southward  is  not 
impossible,  but  that  specimens  from  the  intermediate  country  have  as  yet  es- 
caped notice  is  indeed  strange.  The  facts  now  known  to  us  as  to  the  differ- 
ence between  rixosus  and  its  southern  ally  in  size,  cranial  proportions  and 
color  are  sufficient  to  indicate  specific  values.  It  is  singular  that  all  the 
known  specimens  of  rixosus  and  allegheniensis  appear  to  be  females,  though 
in  every  case  the  sex  has  not  been  absolutely  determined.  If  any  of  them 
are  males  the  great  difference  in  size  between  the  sexes,  so  notorious  in  all 
other  species,  is  not  apparent  among  the  least  weasels.  Mr.  Bangs,  in  his 

*  This  bounty  act  was  passed  in  May,  1885,  and  repealed  about  eighteen  months  later. 


176  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

monograph  of  these  mammals,  gives  as  a  special  character  of  rixosus :  'Tail 
not  tipped  with  black ' — but  I  find  that  his  type  of  that  species  has  several 
distinctly  blackish  hairs  among  the  brown  ones  at  the  tail  tip,  so  also  has  the 
specimen  examined  from  Moose  Factory.  I  am  indebted  to  the  Messrs. 
Nease  for  consenting  to  part  with  the  type,  on  condition  that  it  be  preserved 
in  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  as  well  as  for  their  co- 
operation in  this  investigation.  Mr.  Outram  Bangs  generously  loaned  me  the 
two  specimens  of  rixosus  mentioned  above,  one  of  them  belonging  to  the 
Museum  of  Comparative  Zo'ology  of  Cambridge,  Mass." — Rhoads ;  see  Proc. 
Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1900,  pp.  751  to  754.* 

Genus  Mustela  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  45. 
Southeastern  Marten  ;  American  "  Sable."    Mustela  americana. 

1800.  \_Mustela\  americana  Turton,  Linnaeus,  System  of  Nature,  vol.  i, 
p.  60. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  North  America. 

Fauna/  distribution. — Hudsonian,  Canadian  and  upper  transition  zones  ; 
Atlantic  Ocean  to  Cascade  Mountains,  there  intergrading  into  M.  a.  caurina 
Merriam. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  a nd  N.  J.-  -Once  abundant  over  all  the  mountain  re- 
gions of  the  two  states  and  to  a  certain  extent  invading  the  foothills  of  the 
transition  zone.  Early  exterminated  in  the  latter  areas  and  now  only  known 
from  the  less  deforested  regions  of  the  higher  Alleghenies.  Wholly  absent 
from  any  part  of  N.  J. ;  probably  exterminated  there  50  years  ago. 

Records  in  Pa. — Cameron  Co. — "  Found  in  hard-wood  timber.  Received 
several  light-colored  pelts  from  Shippen  twp.  in  1894;  got  3  from  same 
township  in  1895." — Larrabee,  1896.  I  have  a  skin  taken  in  Cameron  Co., 
and  have  seen  others. — Friant,  1902.  I  have  examined  several  marten  furs 
above  recorded  by  Larrabee  and  Friant. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Clinton  Co. — "  Once  abundant  in  the  beechwoods  of  this  and  adjoining 
counties;  now  very  rare;  saw  tracks  of  two  in  Clinton  Co.,  winter,  1895." 
— Nelson,  1896.  None  reported  in  the  Co.  since  that  date. — Rhoads,  1902. 
"  Mr.  Thomas  informs  me  that  he  caught  5  or  6  in  dead  falls  on  the  head 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Todd  for  the  following  additional  records  of  this  tiny  weasel. 
Both  specimens  are  in  the  Carnegie  Museum,  Pittsburgh.  One,  a  mumified  skin  and  skel- 
eton found  in  a  museum  of  a  Catholic  school  at  Herman,  Butler  Co.,  Pa.,  by  F.  Altman.  Its 
measurements  are,  length  188  mm.,  tail  vert.,  33  mm.,  hind  foot  20.5  mm.  As  these  were 
taken  in  flesh  they  are  conclusive  as  to  real  size,  indicating  a  longer  tailed  animal  than  was 
supposed.  The  specimen  is  of  much  interest  as  showing  a  dark,  chocolate,  mid-winter 
pelage  and  is  unique  in  having  same  color  on  lower  parts,  with  only  the  chin,  throat  and 
breast  white,  as  in  Mustela. 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  177 

waters  of  Young  Woman's  Creek  [Clinton  and  Potter  Cos.],  in  1868." — 
Cleveland,  1900. 

Columbia  Co. — "  None  known  to  me  as  killed  in  the  Co.  for  50  years.  I 
hear  them  occasionally  in  the  big  woods  on  North  Mountain  at  night." — 
Buckalew,  1900.  A  skin  was  sent  to  Krider's  Phila.  gun  store  by  H.  Coward 
to  be  mounted.  Being  mutilated  it  was  presented  by  Mr.  Coward  to  the 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences.  He  stated  it  was  killed  in  his  camp  on  the 
mountain  north  of  Benton,  having  made  a  raid  on  their  butter  in  the  spring 
near  camp.  It  is  a  female,  No.  1563,  A.  N.  Sci. :  catalog.,  taken  in  fall,  1892. 
— Rhoads. 

Crawford  Co. — Formerly  found  in  the  Co. — See  Huidecoper,  Hist.  Crawf. 
Co.,  1846. 

Elk  Co.—"  I  know  of  some  [recently?]  taken  by  O.  H.  Day  in  Elk  Co." 
— Goodnough,  1900.  "Formerly  found.  Now  few  are  seen." — Luhr,  1900. 
"A  few  left." — Clay,  1900. 

Forest  Co. — "  Almost  extinct  since  1875." — Haslet,  1900. 

Lancaster  Co. — "  Very  rare,  if  not  extinct." — Rathvon,  Hist.  Lane.  Co., 
1869,  p.  501. 

Luzerne  Co. — "  I  have  two  specimens  secured  near  Pittston." — Campbell, 
1902.  The  identity  of  these  is  questionable. — Rhoads,  1902. 

McKean  Co. — "  There  are  a  few  martens  yet,  back  in  the  forests,  but 
they  are  scarce.  The  last  in  this  Co.  that  I  know  of  were  caught  by  Thos. 
Mulkins  in  November  and  December,  1899.  He  caught  6  of  them  on 
Haven's  Brook,  Norwich  twp.  The  last  one  he  had  mounted,  and  is  now  in 
his  parlor  at  Eldred.  It  is  a  nice  specimen,  but  very  light-colored,  about  as 
light  as  I  ever  saw  one." — C.  W.  Dickinson,  1901. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "I  could  hear  of  no  specimens  of  this  former  resi- 
dent having  been  captured  for  many  years." — Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  1894, 

P-  394- 

Potter  Co. — "I  received  22  pelts  from  a  hunter  who  trapped  them  on  the 
east  fork  of  the  Sinnetnahoning  during  the  winter  of  i894-'95." — Larrabee, 
1896.  "  Formerly  abundant  here  and  easily  caught  for  its  fur.  1  have  caught 
them  as  late  as  1870,  and  a  few  have  been  caught  later." — Austin,  1900.  See 
under  Clinton  Co.,  Young  Woman's  Creek  Records. — Rhoads. 

South  Mountain,  Bedford  and  Somerset  Co.  regions. — "  Dr.  M.  W.  Strealy, 
hunter  and  naturalist  of  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  took  considerable  pains  to  in- 
quire of  old  hunters  of  the  South  Mountain  region  concerning  the  presence 
of  this  animal.  Among  these  persons  was  an  old  furrier  whose  father  had  all 
his  life  been  in  the  same  trade  in  that  section.  Another  informant  was  a 
mountaineer  98  years  old.  Mr.  Strealy  states  that  neither  of  these  men  had 
ever  heard  of  the  marten  or  sable  being  taken  in  the  South  Mountain  or  the 
counties  of  that  region." — Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  218. 


178  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Inquiries  of  the  same  character  made  farther  west  in  Bedford  and  Somerset 
counties  elicit  the  same  kinds  of  answers.  This  is  surprising,  as  the  region  is 
more  in  the  faunal  zone,  preferred  by  the  marten,  than  Pa.  and  N.  J.  locali- 
ties once  known  to  be  its  habitat. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Sullivan  Co. — "  Found  in  several  thickly-wooded  parts  of  Sullivan  and 
Wyoming  Cos.  I  saw  tracks  of  some  in  the  winter  of  1899-1900.  I  caught 
a  female,  Feb.  i,  1901,  which  I  mounted  for  myself.  A  male  [caught  in 
March  ?  same  year]  I  sent  to  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences." — Behr,  1901. 
Still  found  in  North  Mountain. — Buckalew,  1900.  "  One  was  trapped  near 
Eaglesmere  last  winter  [i895-'96]." — Bennett. 

Tioga  Co. — Once  found  in  all  deep  woods. — Hays. 

Wayne  Co. — Always  rare  in  this  Co. ;  none  left. — Goodnough,  1900. 
"Plenty  in  beech  woods  30  years  ago.  Not  now  seen." — Stevens,  1900. 
Extinct ;  once  plenty. — Teeple,  1 900. 

Wyoming  Co. — "A  few  still  remain  on  the  mountains." — Robinson,  1900. 
See  also  Behr,  under  Sullivan  Co. 

Pa.  in  general. — "  Present,  but  only  in  small  numbers,  in  a  few  sparsely- 
settled  sections  of  Cameron,  Potter,  Clearfield,  Clinton,  Sullivan  and  Elk 
counties.  Fur  dealers  claim  from  25  to  50  are  annually  taken  in  this  state." 
Warren,  Poultry  Book,  1897,  p.  503. 

Habits,  etc. — This  animal,  more  than  any  other  of  its  family,  is  an  arboreal 
species.  For  this  reason,  more  than  any  other  perhaps,  has  it  become  so 
nearly  exterminated  in  the  mountains  of  northern  Pa.,  where  it  once  abounded. 
While  easily  trapped  and  a  desirable  fur  in  Canada,  the  Pa.  martens  were 
never  so  eagerly  sought  after,  owing  to  their  light  color,  as  to  have  been 
greatly  reduced  on  this  account.  Owing  to  the  prevalence  of  forest  fires  in 
Pa.,  their  habits  peculiarly  placed  them  at  a  disadvantage  in  the  struggle  for 
existence  as  compared  with  more  terrestrial  species  having  their  homes  under 
ground.  My  correspondents  agree  in  saying  that  deciduous,  hardwood  timber 
is  preferred  by  this  species  in  Pa.  This  seems  at  variance  with  its  preferred 
resorts  in  Canada.  In  all  localities  the  marten  is  ever  shy  and  retiring  from 
the  abodes  of  man,  unlike  its  kinsfolk,  the  mink  and  weasel,  almost  never  dis- 
turbing domestic  animals.  Its  food  consists  largely  of  squirrels,  birds  and 
their  eggs,  small  rodents  and  insectivora,  toads,  lizards,  frogs  and  even  fish. 
When  we  consider  the  value  of  its  fur,  the  marten  may  well  be  regarded  as  a 
most  useful  animal  in  the  economic  sense.  The  number  of  their  furs  exported 
from  Canada  in  the  past  has  been  equal  to  that  of  all  the  other  species  of  furs 
combined.  Richardson  states  that  about  100,000  skins  were  annually  col- 
lected in  the  fur  countries  for  many  years,  and  Dr.  Coues  says  that  their 
numbers  do  not  seem  to  diminish  in  these  unsettled  regions  as  time  goes  on. 
The  marten  usually  makes  its  home  in  a  hollow  tree  or  in  the  nests  of  the 
gray  squirrel,  which  it  evicts  without  ceremony.  It  is  prolific,  bearing  6  or  8 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  179 

young  at  a  litter.     The  strong,  musky  odor  or  stench  of  the  mink  and  weasel 
is  not  so  noticeable  in  the  marten. 

Description  of  species. — The  marten  is  nearly  \y2  times  the  size  of  a  mink, 
with  a  long,  bushy  tail,  somewhat  less  than  half  the  length  of  head  and  body. 
Its  head  and  ears  are  larger  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  body  than  in  the 
mink,  and  it  is  in  some  degree  a  bicolored  animal  like  the  weasel.  Above,  it 
is  a  light,  rich  brown,  slightly  paler  on  the  underparts ;  the  throat  or  breast 
with  a  light,  tawny  or  whitish  patch,  becoming  orange  in  darker,  richly  col- 
ored specimens.  A  male  Pennsylvania  specimen  from  Lopez,  Sullivan  Co., 
in  winter  pelage  is  brownish  buff  on  sides,  darkening  on  back,  tail  and  legs  to 
blackish  brown,  the  end  of  feet  and  tail  being  sooty.  The  broad  median 
stripe  of  breast  and  belly  is  browner  than  sides ;  the  irregular  throat  and 
breast  patch  is  ochraceous ;  the  top  and  lower  head  are  Isabella  color,  light- 
ening to  ash  on  side  of  head  and  inside  ears.  Its  length  is  22  inches,  tail 
vertebrae,  7  inches ;  hind  foot,  3  inches.* 

Pennant's  Marten  ;  Fisher,  Pekan.    Mustela  pennanti  Erxleben. 

1777.  \_Mustela]  pennanti  Erxleben,  Systema  Regni  Animal,  vol.  i,  p.  470. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution. — Hudsonian,  Canadian  and  transition  zones ;  Atlantic 
Ocean  to  Cascade  Mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — While  I  have  discovered  no  other  record 
of  this  animal  in  N.  J.,  either  historical  or  otherwise  than  the  one  given  by 
Dr.  Abbott,  it  undoubtedly  occurred  in  former  days  in  the  northern  sections 
of  the  state.  Its  distribution  in  Pa.  was  at  one  time  almost  universal,  except 
in  the  southern  lowlands.  Never  numerous  like  the  marten,  it  has  now  be- 
come almost  extinct.  A  few  remain  in  the  higher  mountains. 

Records  in  Pa. — In  1897  I  wrote  (Proc.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  pp.  218, 
219) — "The  Fisher  or  Black  Cat  has  for  many  years  been  practically  extinct 
in  Pennsylvania.  Such  at  least  is  the  verdict  of  nearly  every  hunter  with 
whom  I  have  communicated ;  and  many  men  of  middle  age,  who  have  had 
20  years  experience  in  mountaineering,  never  saw  the  track  of  one  where 
they  were  formerly  numerous,  while  many  other  trappers  had  not  even  heard 
of  such  an  animal." 

Cameron  Co. — "  Mr.  Larrabee  of  Emporium,  Cameron  Co.,  declares  there 
are  yet  a  few  in  Shippen  township.  The  tracks  of  one  were  seen  and  traps 
set  to  catch  it  during  the  winter  of  i895-'96." — Rhoads,  1897. 

Clinton  Co. — "  A  fisher-fox  was  seen  near  Mill  Hall  a  year  ago." — Pfoutz, 
1901. 

*  See  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1902,  for  a  Synopsis  of  the  American  Martens. 


l8o  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Columbia  Co. — "  A  few  have  been  killed  in  my  memory  in  this  county." — 
Buckalew,  1900. 

Dauphin  Co. — The  living  animal  from  which  Audubon  made  his  figure  in 
Quadrupeds  of  N.  America  was  taken  by  S.  F.  Baird  "  in  company  with  an 
older  one  in  Peter's  Mountain,  6  miles  above  Harrisburg,"  in  early  February, 
1844. — See  p.  312,  vol.  i. 

Forest  Co. — "John  Bush,  of  Tionesta,  killed  one  about  1893  on  the  ice  of 
the  Alleghany  River.  Its  sale  to  a  fur  dealer  proved  its  identity  as  a  fisher 
fox." — Irwin,  1900. 

Lackawanna  Co. — "  I  recently  saw  one  of  two  fishers  which  were  killed  by 
Martin  Crippen,  of  Olyphant,  about  1885.  It  is  in  the  collection  of  Dr. 
Isaiah  F.  Everhart,  of  Scranton.  This  specimen  and  the  other,  which  was 
kept  by  Crippen,  were  mounted  by  Mr.  G.  P.  Friant,  of  Scranton,  who  per- 
sonally furnished  me  the  data.  They  were  associated,  and  had  been  living 
some  time  near  Olyphant  in  a  den  or  burrow,  making  occasional  raids  on  the 
farmers'  poultry." — Rhoads,  1902. 

Lancaster  Co. — "On  March  IT,  1896,  a  fine  male  Pekan  was  shot  by 
Christ  S.  Nunnemacher  on  the  borders  of  a  wood  on  Mill  Creek,  2  miles 
north  of  Bird-in-Hand  and  about  3  miles  east  of  Lancaster.  Mill  Creek  rises 
in  the  Welsh  Mountains.  This  animal  had  been  making  depredations  on  the 
farmers'  poultry  in  that  vicinity  for  some  months  and  was  finally  discovered 
by  some  dogs  that  accompanied  Nunnemacher.  The  animal  was  taken  to  Dr. 
M.  W.  Raub,  of  Lancaster,  to  be  mounted,  and  the  stuffed  specimen  is  now 
in  his  possession.  In  a  letter  from  Dr.  Raub  I  have  received  full  confirmation 
of  the  above  facts  and  unmistakable  evidence  that  the  animal  was  not  a 
"Marten,"  as  reported  in  the  Lancaster  newspapers  of  that  date." — Rhoads, 
Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.  Phila.,  1897,  p.  219. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "  Of  the  Pekan,  M.  pennanti,  none  of  the  inhabi- 
tants whom  I  asked  had  any  knowledge." — Rhoads,  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila., 
1894,  p.  394. 

Perry  Co. — "The  animal  may  be  still  found  occasionally  in  the  mountains 
north  of  Carlisle  in  Perry  Co.  [Peter's  and  Cove  Mtns.]." — Coues,  Fur- 
Bearing  Animals,  1877,  p.  68. 

Potter  Co. — "  The  elder  Seth  Nelson  [told  me]  he  caught  many  of  them 
in  the  beech  woods  of  Potter  and  Tioga  Cos.,  between  the  years  1827  and 
1845." — Rhoads,  Ibid.,  1897,  p.  219. 

Sullivan  Co. — "In  1874  Mr.  M.  S.  Prescott,  Harveyville,  Luzerne  county, 
says :  '  One  was  killed  on  Loyalsock  Creek,  in  Sullivan  Co.' " — Warren, 
Poultry  book,  p.  503.  "They  say  that  fishers  were  here  40  years  ago." — 
Behr,  1900. 

Tioga  Co. — See  under  Potter  Co. — Rhoads.  "About  1853  I  shot  one  in 
Ward  township  on  the  Tioga  river,  the  only  one  I  ever  saw,  and  have  heard 
of  none  since." — Cleveland,  1900. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  l8l 

Wayne  Co. — "I  caught  one  in  central  Oregon  township,  Dec.,  1857.  It 
was  a  female  which  had  lived  in  the  vicinity  at  least  2  years." — Goodnough, 
1900.  "  Cousin  Geo.  Stevens  caught  one  at  the  head  waters  of  Butternut 
Creek  about  1879." — Stevens,  1900.  "Extinct:  once  numerous  in  this 
county." — Teeple,  1900. 

Pa.  in  general. — From  reports  of  N.  York  City  and  Penna.  fur  dealers  and 
shippers  it  is  learned  that  probably  not  over  half  a  dozen  Fishers  are  now 
annually  killed  in  this  State.  At  the  present  time  about  the  only  counties 
where  these  animals  are  to  be  found  are  Clearfield,  Cameron,  Elk  and  prob- 
ably Clinton,  Potter  and  Sullivan,  and  in  all  of  these  they  are  reported  to  be 
very  rare." — Warren,  Poultry  book,  1897. 

Record  in  N.J. —  "Rarely  met  with.  None  exist  in  the  central  part  of 
the  State ;  probably  none  in  the  southern  section.  About  the  mountains  in 
the  northern  counties  a  few  are  still  living,  but  in  no  appreciable  numbers." 
—Abbott,  Geol.  N.  J.,  1868,  p.  753. 

Habits,  etc. — I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Coues'  monograph  of  the  Mustelida  for 
the  following  notes  on  the  life  history  of  Pennant's  marten.  Unlike  the 
marten,  mink,  weasel  and  wolverene,  the  pekan  has  no  counterpart  in  the 
Old  World.  It  is  in  appearance  and  habits  much  like  a  large  marten,  only 
its  expression  is  more  dog-like,  and  it  seems  to  prefer  low,  wet  grounds  and 
the  banks  of  streams,  whereas  the  marten  is  an  upland,  hill-haunting  species. 
Its  commoner  name  of  fisher  is  misleading,  as  it  does  not  catch  fish  any 
oftener  than  a  cat,  though  showing  a  feline  fondness  for  them  when  they  can 
be  stolen.  The  name,  pekan,  is  of  doubtful  origin,  but  probably  an  aboriginal 
name.  Its  food  is  similar  to  that  of  the  marten,  consisting  largely  of  small 
rodents,  but  it  is  said  to  be  very  fond  of  the  porcupine,  and  to  also  kill  the 
marten  and  racoon  for  food.  It  shows  great  address  and  agility  in  climbing 
trees,  and  makes  its  home  in  a  lofty  hollow  where  the  young  are  also  hidden 
away  from  danger  till  able  to  go  abroad.  They  number  three  or  four.  When 
brought  to  bay  the  pekan  is  most  courageous,  proving  a  much  more  danger- 
ous foe  to  dogs  than  the  fox.  Audubon  states  that  this  animal  is  more  strictly 
nocturnal  than  many  others  so-called.  Ross  don't  agree  as  to  this,  and  says 
they  do  not  keep  so  closely  to  the  woods  as  the  marten,  but  often  hunt  mice 
on  the  large  grassy  marshes  or  prairies  at  the  mouth  of  Slave  River,  B.  A.  It 
is  almost  as  bad  at  stealing  bait  from  the  marten  traps  as  the  wolverene,  which 
animal  it  is  said  to  resemble  in  many  characteristics.  On  account  of  their 
rarity  this  species'  depredations  never  brought  it  into  strained  relations  with 
economic  zoologists. 

Description  of  species. — Size  about  three  times  that  of  marten.  Body  rela- 
tively much  stouter.  General  aspect  fox-like  or  dog-like,  with  rounded,  broad 
ears  and  a  long,  rounded  tail,  gradually  tapering  to  a  slender  point  from  a 
large,  bushy  root,  the  hairs  quite  long.  The  neck,  legs  and  feet  are  much 


1 82  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

stouter  than  in  the  marten  and  the  claws  much  longer  and  stouter.  The  fur 
is  coarser  and  looser  than  the  marten's,  with  coarse,  shining,  bristly  hairs  in- 
termixed. The  color  is  variable  but  a  general  pattern  and  hue  prevails.  It 
is  darker  below  than  above  ;  belly,  legs  and  tail  being  almost  black.  The 
upper  parts  lighten  more  and  more  as  the  head  is  reached,  from  brownish- 
black  to  grayish  or  even  hoary-brown  or  tawny.  The  usual  patches  of  lighter 
color  (white)  are  found  on  chest,  arm  pits,  or  even  the  belly  between  thighs. 
Old  specimens  are  the  lightest  colored,  some  become  nearly  white. 

Measurements. — Total  length,  890  mm.  (35  in.);  tail  vertebrae,  355  (14); 
hind  foot,  120 


Family  PROCYONID^E  ;  Racoons. 

Genus  /V0r>Y?«  Storr,  Prodromus  Method.  Mammal,  1780,  p.  35. 
Northeastern  Racoon  ;  Coon.    Procyon  lotor  Linnaeus. 

1758.  \_Ursus\ lotor  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  48. 

1819.  Procyon  lotor  Desmarest,  Dictionaire  d!  Histoire  Naturelle,  vol.  29, 
p.  91. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  United  States. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Lower  Canadian,  transition  and  austral  zones,  New 
England  to  Georgia,  west  to  Rocky  Mts. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Uniformly  numerous  in  all  wooded  tracts 
in  the  two  states  except  those  most  populous  in  the  near  vicinity  or  suburbs 
of  towns.  Often  found  even  in  these  situations  as  an  explorer  after  poultry. 

Habits,  etc. — These  are  so  familiar,  I  will  merely  allude  to  their  economic 
status.  Dr.  Warren  reports  several  answers  from  correspondents  which  con- 
demn this  animal  as  a  stealer  of  fish,  especially  trout.  Others  say  it  does  not 
catch  many  of  these  but  is  after  cray  fish  chiefly.  His  raids  on  nesting  tur- 
keys I  can  vouch  for,  the  eggs  being  sucked.  His  destruction  of  poultry  is 
occasionally  severe  and  he  likes  green  maize  ears  dearly.  No  doubt  he  is  a 
destroyer  of  birds'  nests,  eggs  and  young,  both  terrestrial  and  arboreal.  He 
catches  some  mice,  but  being  a  slow  sort  of  fellow,  prefers  more  leisurely 
employment.  On  this  account,  he  is  quite  a  vegetarian,  grapes,  nuts,  fruits 
and  certain  vegetables  falling  t.o  his  share.  His  furs  for  warmth  and  his  car- 
cass for  food  about  compensate  for  the  direct  losses  sustained  by  humanity  in 
his  depredations.  Warren,  however,  thinks  him  entitled  to  persecution,  a 
thing  to  which  the  coon  has  become  so  accustomed  that  probably  neglect 
would  be  a  more  speedy  means  of  extinction.  We  all  devoutly  wish  his  sur- 
vival, however,  as  being  one  of  the  most  characteristic  Americans  that  wel- 
comed Columbus. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  183 

Description  of  Species.  —  The  "coon"  may  be  immediately  distinguished 
from  all  other  of  our  eastern  mammals,  large  or  small,  by  its  club  or  baton- 
shaped,  cylindrical  tail,  adorned  with  alternate  black  and  yellowish  gray 
rings,  each  about  an  inch  wide.  In  size  and  shape  he  is  rather  similar  to  a 
cub  bear  6  months  old.  The  resemblance  to  the  bear  in  many  respects  led 
Linnaeus  to  put  the  raccoon  in  the  genus  Ursus.  His  hind  feet  are  planti- 
grade as  in  the  bear,  and  make  a  track  like  that  of  a  child.  He  is  peculiar 
in  being  able  to  use  the  forefeet  with  such  dexterity  as  to  resemble  the  move- 
ments of  the  human  hand.  The  face  and  expression  of  the  coon  is  foxy,  at 
the  same  time  having  some  of  the  elements  of  the  marten,  wolverine,  and 
fisher,  his  near  relatives.  The  general  color  is  coarse  grizzled  gray  with 
tawny  or  brownish  suffusion  of  the  under  fur  showing  among  the  longer 
hairs. 

Measurements.  —  Total  length,  830  mm.  (32^)  in.  ;  tail  vertebrae  250(9^5)  ; 
hind  foot,  120 


Family  URSID/E  ;  Bears. 

Genus  Ursus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  47. 
East  American  Black  Bear.    Ursus  Americanus  Pallas. 

1780.  Ursus  americanus  Pallas,  Spicilegia  zoologica,  fascic,  14,  p.  5. 

Type  locality  :  Eastern  North  America. 

Faunal  Distribution.  —  Hudsonian,  Canadian,  transition  and  Austral  zones  : 
Hudson  Bay  and  Atlantic  Ocean  to  Georgia  ;  west  to  Pacific  Ocean  and 
Alaska. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.  —  Once  uniformly  and  abundantly  repre- 
sented in  every  county  of  the  two  states.  Now  almost  exterminated  in  N.  J., 
but  occasionally  crossing  the  Delaware  from  Pa.  into  Warren  and  Sussex 
Cos.  An  occasional  one  is  seen  in  the  cedar  swamps  of  southern  N.  J.,  but 
not  oftener  than  once  or  twice  in  10  years.  In  the  most  densely  populated 
counties  of  Pa.  it  is  unknown  ,  in  about  half  of  those  remaining  it  is  found 
only  as  a  straggler.  In  parts  of  the  remaining  counties  it  is  almost  as  numer- 
ous as  ever  known  to  have  been.  In  other  sections,  where  deforesting  of 
coniferous  woods  has  been  succeeded  by  scrub  oak,  chestnut,  beech,  briars, 
vines  and  berry-producing  plants,  it  has  increased  in  numbers  and  may  be 
said  to  be  abundant. 

Records  in  Pa.  —  Bradford  Co.  —  Thomas  Leahy  was  reported  to  have  killed 
a  brown  black  bear  in  Bradford  Co.  in  1882.  —  Brown. 

Bucks  Co.  —  "One  was  tracked  in  snow  and  chased  across  country  from 
Ueax  Swamp,  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J.,  in  the  winter  of  1870,  through  Rocky  hill  to 


184  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Washington  Crossing  where  it  crossed  the  Delaware  River  on  the  ice  and  was 
lost  in  Bucks  Co.,  Pa." — Ray,  1901. 

Cameron  Co. — More  plentiful  than  30  years  ago. — Hays,  1900.  "  Abel 
Andrews  and  his  sons  have  killed  23  in  Cameron  Co.  in  the  years  1894  to 
1899." — Cleveland,  1901. 

Centre  Co. — Less  abundant  than  30  years  ago." — Fenton,  1900.  Common 
in  Centre  Co. — Rothrock,  1900. 

Clearfield  Co. — More  plentiful  than  30  years  ago. — Hays. 

Clinton  Co. — Seth  I.  Nelson  and  his  son,  with  whom  I  have  hunted  and 
trapped  bears  near  Round  Island,  concur  in  the  belief  that  they  have  been 
more  numerous  in  that  region  in  the  past  20  years  than  before  that  time. 
About  the  year  1883  the  junior  Nelson  killed  7  bears  in  East  Keating  town- 
ship alone.  In  1893  he  killed  4.  In  October,  1898,  under  his  directions,  I 
trapped  two  in  one  week  within  a  quarter  mile  of  each  other  near  my  camp 
on  top  of  the  mountain.  Their  signs  in  the  chestnut  woods  were  so  abundant 
and  fresh  that  a  novice  might  have  supposed  a  score  passed  along  these  feed- 
ing grounds  every  night.  These  conditions  prevailed  over  a  stretch  of  coun- 
try reaching  the  borders  of  Cameron  and  Potter  Cos.  Wherever  the  mast 
was  abundant  the  bears  had  been  correspondingly  numerous  and  active. — 
Rhoads,  1902.  Increasingly  common  in  Clinton  Co. — Rothrock,  1900.. 
More  plentiful  than  30  years  ago. — Hays,  1900. 

Columbia  Co. — "  I  have  known  of  none  in  this  Co.  for  50  years." — Bucka- 
lew,  1900. 

Crawford  Co. — Extinct.  Last  one  seen  near  Meadville  in  1834. — Kirk- 
patrick,  1900. 

Elk  Co. — A  few  killed  yearly. — Clay,  1900.  "In  some  years  as  plenty  as 
in  former  times.  Tenor  12  killed  in  1898." — Luhr,  1900.  More  plentiful 
than  30  years  ago. — Hays,  1900. 

Forest  Co. — Very  plenty.  More  so  than  30  years  ago. — Zendle,  1900^ 
Quite  plenty  in  big  forests. — Haslet,  1900. 

Franklin  Co. — "  Exterminated  in  the  South  Mountain  regions." — Strealy,. 
Spg.,  1897.  "In  November,  1897,  a  bear  devastated  the  region  of  Cove 
Mountain  between  Sylvan,  Franklin  Co.,  and  Hancock,  Maryland." — Strealy,. 
1899. 

Lackawanna  Co. — I  handle  a  skin  now  and  then  killed  in  this  Co. — 
Friant,  1900. 

Luzerne  Co. — "Taken  every  winter  in  east  Luzerne  Co." — Stocker,  1900- 
"They  seem  to  be  increasing." — Campbell,  1900. 

Ly coming  Co. — "  Increasing  yearly. — Parker,  1900.  Seely  Bovier  killed  a 
brown  black  bear  in  1882  in  Monet  township.  It  was  a  male  z/z  grown. — 
See  True,  Proc.  Nat.  Mus.,  Washn.,  1882,  p.  653. 

McKean  Co. — Nearly  as  plenty  as  30  years  ago. — W.  C.  Dickeson,  1900. 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  185 

Mifflin  Co.— One  killed  in  1897  by  David  Harshberger  in  this  Co. — Roth- 
rock,  1900. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — "  I  handle  about  6  or  8  skins  every  season  killed 
mostly  in  Pike  and  Monroe  Cos." — Friant,  1900.  "  Rarely  killed,  but  evi- 
dences of  their  existence  are  frequently  seen  in  the  mountains.  They  hiber- 
nate here  in  severe  winters." — Rhoads,  1894.  Yet  found  in  Pike  Co. — 
Rothrock,  1900,  Campbell,  1902.  About  as  many  in  Monroe  Co.  as  30 
years  ago. — Bisbing,  1900. 

Potter  Co. — Some  caught  yearly  in  Potter  Co.  They  are  migratory,  seek- 
ing mast.  In  an  unfruitful  season  very  scarce. — Austin,  1900. 

Somerset  Co. — "The  last  one  seen  and  killed  was  30  years  ago." — Moore, 

1899.  "Very  rare;  one  killed  near  Elk  Lick  about  4  years  ago." — Mier, 
1902. 

Sullivan  Co. — "The  bear  holds  its  own  in  this  region." — Behr,  1900.  "  I 
think  black  bears  are  more  plenty  than  30  years  ago." — Bennett,  1901.  Mr. 
Bennett  has  trapped  two  more  "  red  "  bears  near  Eaglesmere.  A  claw  with 
the  "red  "  hairs  attached  and  the  skull  of  one  killed  in  the  fall  of  1899  was 
sent  to  me  and  are  in  my  collection.  They  belong  to  the  brown  variety  of 
the  black  bear. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Tioga  Co. — Not  plentiful  as  formerly. — Cleveland,  1900.  They  are  in- 
creasing.— Babcock,  1900. 

Union  Co. — Increasing  every  year. — Chambers,  1900. 

Venango  Co. — About  2  per  year  are  brought  into  Oil  City. — Dorworth,  1900. 

Washington  Co. — One  said  to  have  passed  near  Washington  town  40  or  50 
years  ago. — Nease,  1900. 

Wayne  Co.— Very  rare.     Last  taken  by  Elijah  Teeple  in  1873. — Teeple, 

1900.  Many  killed  yearly  in  southern  Wayne  and  Pike  Cos.     More  numer- 
ous than  25  years  ago. — Stevens,  1900.     Almost  extinct  in  the  county. — Day, 
1900. 

Westmoreland  Co. — One  was  seen  crossing  the  road  from  Laughlintown  to 
Jeuner,  on  Laurel  Ridge  in  July,  1898,  by  a  gentleman  who  told  me  of  the 
fact  a  few  hours  after.  I  am  informed  by  Mrs.  Fry,  of  Laughlintown,  that 
one  was  seen  (or  killed)  in  the  Co.  in  the  present  winter,  1901-02. — Rhoads. 

Wyoming  Co. — I  caught  2  this  fall  and  get  2  to  4  every  fall." — Robinson, 
1900. 

Records  in  N.J. — Atlantic  Co. — "  I  killed  8  bears  straight  in  south  Jersey 
in  my  early  days.  The  last  known  to  me  was  killed  by  Billy  Campbell  near 
Estelville." — Coffin,  1897.  The  very  severe  weather  this  winter  has  proved 
the  supposed  extinction  of  the  bear  in  south  Jersey  to  be  unfounded.  The 
following  clippings  are  from  the  "  Public  Ledger,"  Philadelphia.  They  cover 
the  adjoining  corners  of  Atlantic,  Cumberland  and  Gloucester  Cos.  There 
is  so  much  evidence  here  presented,  and  of  such  a  character,  as  to  make  it 
worth  recording. — Rhoads. 


1 86  .          MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

"  VlNELAND,  Feb.  7,  IQO2. 

Farmers  near  the  Blackwater  Swamp  are  very  much  excited  over  the  in- 
cursions of  a  bear,  which  has  been  carrying  off  live  stock.  Old  bruin,  whose 
tracks  showed  that  he  had  circled  around  the  buildings  of  Farmer  Stevenson 
a  few  days  ago,  prowled  around  the  barn  of  George  Lyons  last  night,  his 
tracks  being  very  plain  in  the  snow  and  slush. 

The  bear  has  been  seen  by  William  Jones  and  William  Saul,  and  Farmer 
Jones,  near  the  lake,  had  two  pigs  carried  off  by  the  beast.  He  has  been 
tracked  into  the  swamp  two  or  three  times,  but  every  time  he  succeeded  in 
outwitting  his  pursuers.  Hunting  parties  of  farmers  are  still  looking  for  the 
animal." 

"VlNELAND,  Feb.  I4th. 

The  villagers  of  Newfield  and  farmers  thereabouts  are  greatly  excited  over 
bear  hunts.  Bruin  was  seen  and  shot  at  twice  by  hunting  parties  last  night, 
and  was  pursued  toward  his  lair  in  Blackwater  swamp,  where  he  made  his 
escape. 

The  bold  incursions  of  the  bear  during  the  last  few  days  have  greatly 
frightened  the  farmers.  The  tracks  of  the  bear  were  first  discovered  v/here 
he  circled  around  the  barns  of  Farmers  Stevenson  and  Lyons  during  the  last 
snowfall.  Then  Bruin  stole  two  pigs  from  Farmer  Jones,  of  near  the  lake,  and 
was  seen  by  another  farmer.  Night  before  last  the  bear  broke  into  the  hog- 
pen of  J.  Pasqualin,  near  Forest  Grove,  killed  a  hog  and  carried  off  one  small 
pig.  While  near  the  swamp  around  Maurice  river,  of  which  the  Blackwater 
river  is  a  tributary,  Peter  Surran's  horse  became  frightened  by  the  sudden 
appearance  of  Bruin  and  almost  ran  away. 

Two  bear-hunting  parties  organized  at  Newfield  early  last  night,  one  being 
led  by  B.  J.  Buckman  and  the  other  by  Joseph  Louder.  All  the  men  had 
shotguns,  and  each  party  had  a  pack  of  good  dogs.  The  dogs  of  one  of  the 
hunting  parties  finally  got  on  the  trail  of  Bruin,  and  young  Louder  shot  at  the 
beast  twice,  but,  it  being  dark,  the"  bear  succeeded  in  fighting  off  the  dogs 
and  escaping.  Another  party  will  go  out  to-night  in  the  hope  of  getting  a 
shot  at  the  animal." 

Burlington  Co. — See  under  Ocean  Co. — Price. 

Cape  May  Co. — The  last  black  bear  known  near  Dennisville  was  killed 
about  1858,  when  three  others  were  seen. — Lee.  "Quite  plentiful  at  certain 
periods,  particularly  in  the  dense  cedar  swamps  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
county  where  5  have  been  killed  the  present  autumn."  Beesley  in  Geol. 
Sur.  of  N.  J.— C.  May  Co.,  1857,  Appx.  "The  last  one  killed  was  about 
1878  at  Long  Bridge  Swamp  in  upper  or  Dennis  township." — Hand. 

Cumberland  Co. — See  under  Atlantic  Co. 

Gloucester  Co. — See  under  Atlantic  Co. 

Mercer  Co.— See  under  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  187 

Ocean  Co. — "  A  bear  was  seen  by  one  of  the  Pharo  boys  crossing  the 
Tuckerton  R.  R.  ahead  of  his  freight  train  as  they  were  running  through 
Manahawkin  Swamp,  about  4  years  ago." — Pharo,  1893.  "Very  rare,  if  not 
extinct,  in  this  Co.  They  lived  later  in  Manahawkin  Swamp  than  anywhere 
else  in  the  vicinity  of  Tuckerton.  Around  Shamong  and  New  Lisbon  [Bur- 
lington Co.]  there  were  more  bears  than  near  Tuckerton." — Price,  1900. 

Passaic  and  Sussex  Cos. — "  No  bears  were  reported  to  me  as  still  existing 
in  the  localities  visited  [in  1896].  The  recent  killing  of  bears  at  Port  Jervis, 
N.  York,  makes  it  possible  that  they  occasionally  wander  into  the  northwestern 
corner  of  Sussex  County." — Rhoads — Proc.  A.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1897,  p.  31. 

Warren  Co. — "A  bear  was  seen  in  Warren  Co.  near  the  Water  Gap  about 
9  years  ago." — Davison,  1902. 

N.J.  in  general. — "Fast  disappearing  from  the  state,  now  never  met  with 
in  the  central  counties ;  in  inappreciable  numbers  in  the  northern  mountain- 
ous districts,  and  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  are  annually  killed  in  the 
southern  section  of  the  state.  The  bear  has  been  the  last  of  the  three  large 
carnivorous  animals  of  the  state  to  disappear  before  the  settling  and  clearing 
off  of  the  land."— Abbott,  Geol.  N.  J.,  1868,  p.  755. 

Habits,  etc. — Perhaps  no  large  mammal  is  better  known  to  so  many  per- 
sons, old  and  young,  than  the  bear.  Zoological  gardens,  shows,  the  circus", 
literature  and  folk-lore  all  contribute  to  this  stock  of  knowledge.  A  few  facts 
not  so  well  known  may  prove  worth  noting.  The  black  bear  is  exceedingly 
wary  and  more  fearful  of  man  than  a  deer.  It  can  be  within  20  feet  of  you 
in  thick  woods  or  underbrush  and  escape  without  making  a  sound  appreciable 
to  the  ordinary  ear.  At  the  same  time  its  weight  may  be  350  pounds  and  its 
width  2  feet.  There  may  be  half  a  dozen  bears  feeding  in  a  blackberry  clear- 
ing, and  the  freshest  signs  of  their  feeding  and  resting  and  tramping  every- 
where evident  over  hundreds  of  acres,  yet  the  most  careful  stalking,  sneaking, 
listening  and  spying  will  not  reveal  their  whereabouts.  A  small,  nimble  cur 
dog  will  quickly  send  the  largest  bear  up  a  tree.  If  the  hunter  comes  suddenly 
upon  him  in  that  plight,  the  bear  will  not  always  wait  to  climb  down,  but  may 
drop  from  the  farthest  branch  sometimes  20  or  30  feet  upon  its  posterior 
parts  and  bounce  off  without  apparent  discomfort.  In  its  terrestrial  method 
of  feeding  and  omnivorous  diet,  the  bear  is  very  much  like  a  pig,  but  is  at  a 
great  advantage  over  the  pig  owing  to  the  powerful  arms  and  claws  by  which 
it  is  continually  digging,  tearing  and  overturning  the  obstacles  which  protect 
its  prey.  In  our  latitude  the  bear  only  fattens  when  the  berry  and  nut  crops 
are  abundant.  Its  spring  and  early  summer  diet  of  insects,  mollusks,  worms, 
mice,  reptiles,  birds'  eggs  and  roots  hardly  makes  life  worth  living  for  a  vora- 
cious bear,  especially  if  he  has  been  forced  into  his  winter  den  with  only  a 
small  layer  of  fat  and  must  come  out  and  forage  after  every  winter  thaw. 
New-born  bears  are  most  helpless  things ;  much  as  the  young  infant,  almost 


1 88  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JEHSEY. 

naked,  quite  blind  and  exceeding  small,  needing  the  unceasing  attention  of 
their  mother  for  many  weeks  after  birth,  and  in  northern  climes  nature  further 
insures  their  safety  by  sealing  up  the  dam  in  an  ice-bound  cave,  the  loosening 
thaws  of  spring  being  her  only  hope  of  escape.  The  young  number  from  i  to 
4,  but  2  is  the  usual  number.  The  bear  at  certain  seasons,  either  of  sexual 
activity  or  in  search  for  an  abundant  food  supply  in  autumn,  becomes  a  migra- 
tory animal.  On  these  accounts,  especially  in  its  search  for  mast,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  form  an  idea  of  their  actual  abundance  or  scarcity  in  a  given  region. 
The  answers  of  my  correspondents  indicate  this  condition  and  some  of  them 
are  shrewd  enough  to  allude  to  it.  Undoubtedly  this  ranging  habit,  coupled 
with  the  fact  that  they  are  often  tracked  long  distances  across  country  by 
hunters  when  found  in  places  from  which  they  have  been  exterminated, 
accounts  for  their  continually  "  turning  up  "  in  out  of  way  places.  An  ex- 
ceedingly severe  winter  will  also  finally  drive  the  last  hermits  of  their  race  in 
such  a  place  as  the  cedar  swamps  of  N.  J.  into  the  haunts  of  man,  resulting 
in  their  so-called  rediscovery  after  years  of  supposed  extinction. 

I  now  give  a  brief  summary  of  Mr.  S.  Nelson's  long  experience  as  a  bear 
trapper  in  Clinton  Co.,  Pa. :  Meat  averages  8  cents  per  pound  in  the  mount- 
ains. Highly  prized  by  natives.  Heaviest  known  to  him  weighed  408 
pounds  dressed;  before  butchering  500  pounds.  Fur  brings  $12  prime. 
Will  eat  carrion  when  starved,  but  if  they  can  get  nuts  will  reject  all  other 
food  except  honey,  yellow-jackets  and  bumble  bee's  nests,  and  the  chipmunks 
which  they  dig  out  in  fall  for  their  stores  of  nuts,  and  eat  the  proprietor  also. 
They  never  hesitate  when  hungry  to  devour  the  porcupine,  turning  it  over  and 
eating  the  contents  of  his  coat  of  mail  without  injury.  The  she- bear  has  young 
born  in  January.  They  are  born  40  days  after  conception,  the  rut  coming  in 
November,  and  she  goes  into  her  den,  stump  or  log  in  December.  When 
born,  young  are  absolutely  hairless  so  far  as  can  be  seen,  and  so  small  that  3 
can  be  held  in  one  hand  at  a  time,  being  the  size  of  a  half-grown  guinea-pig, 
the  head  very  large  for  size  of  body.  They  emerge  with  young  about  the  last 
of  March  to  early  April.  There  are  2  to  4  cubs,  sometimes  only  i.  The 
nest  is  made  of  sticks,  bark,  leaves  and  moss.  These  young  "  den  up  "  with 
their  mother  the  next  season  sometimes.  The  dam  does  not  shed  fur  the 
year  she  has  cubs.  (By  the  last  two  statements  I  infer  he  means  the  bear 
does  not  bring  forth  oftener  than  alternate  years.)  The  males  only  molt  once 
per  year,  in  late  summer  and  fall.  They  will  sometimes  wantonly  kill  2  or  3 
sheep  in  one  night.  They  also  kill  fawns. 

Description  of  species, — Our  east  American  bear  is  normally  black  with 
brownish  markings  about  the  nose  and  sometimes  a  white  spot  between  fore- 
legs. A  very  rare  occurrence  is  the  capture  of  the  brown  or  red  variety  in 
Pa.  Three  or  four  of  these  have  been  recorded  above,  and  I  am  just  informed 
that  another  was  captured  the  present  winter  (i9oi-'o2)  in  Sullivan  Co.,  Pa 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  189 

These  are  only  a  color  phase  of  the  black  species,  as  J  have  ascertained  by 
an  examination  of  the  skull  and  claws  of  one  taken  near  Eaglesmere  recently 
by  Mr.  Bennett.  Cubs  in  the  same  litter  have  been  found  in  the  western 
U.  States,  one  of  which  was  black  and  the  other  brown.  The  same  variations 
occur  in  the  grizzly  bear,  Ursus  horribilis.  In  the  Alaskan  mountains  a  small 
nearly  white  bear,  closely  allied  to  our  black  species,  is  found.  A  yellowish 
race  of  the  black  bear  is  found  in  Louisiana,  U.  a.  luteolus  (Griffith). 

Measurements. — Taken  from  a  3  or  4-year-old  male,  trapped  by  S.  N. 
Rhoads,  in  Clinton  Co.,  Oct.  29,  1898.  Total  length,  1342  mm.  (51^  in.); 
tail,  1 06  (4^).  They  sometimes  grow  to  be  5^  feet  long,  and  often  weigh 
over  300  pounds  when  fat. 

Order  INSECTIVORA:   Insect  eaters. 

Family  SORICID.E  •  Shrews. 

Genus  Sorex  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  1758,  vol.  i,  p.  53. 
Eastern  Masked  Shrew.     Sorex  personates  I.  Geoffroy  St.  Hilaire. 

1827.  Sorex  personatus  I.  Geoffroy  St.  Hilaire,  Memoir  Museum  d'  His- 
toire  Naturelle,  Paris,  vol.  15,  p.  12,  122. 

Type  locality.—  Eastern  United  States. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian,  transition  and  upper  austral  zones ;  At- 
lantic Ocean  to  Cascade  Mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Abundant  chiefly  in  damp  and  marshy 
situations  in  the  Canadian  and  transition  areas  of  both  states.  Rare  in  the 
austral  areas  except  on  the  maritime  marshes  where  it  is  more  abundant,  per- 
haps, than  in  any  other  situation  in  our  limits.  Also  numerous  in  the  boreal 
bogs  of  the  southern  interior  of  N.  J.  The  only  specimens  of  this  shrew  I 
ever  saw  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  were  two.  One  was  caught  and 
swallowed  by  a  chicken  on  my  uncle's  farm  near  Marple,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa. 
The  other  I  trapped  in  a  pine  woods  near  Haddonfield,  Camden  Co.,  N.  J. 
Two  from  Kennett  Square,  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  are  in  the  Cope  collection. 
Dobson  records  one  from  Haddonfield,  N.  J. 

Habits,  etc. — This  is  the  least  of  our  mammals,  and  being  subterranean  in 
its  living  and  rare  in  upland  tracts  below  the  mountains,  is  seldom  seen  alive. 
Though  I  have  trapped  a  great  many,  I  never  saw  one  alive  outside  of  a  trap. 
It  not  only  makes  tiny  galleries  through  the  moss,  vegetable  mold  and  loose 
sod  of  the  places  its  frequents,  but  uses  largely  the  burrows  of  the  mice  and 
moles  which  associate  with  it.  That  it  is  semi-aquatic  there  can  be  no  doubt, 
as  its  runways  often  descend  directly  into  subterranean  springs,  pools  and 


190  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW  JERSEY. 

water  courses,  and  on  the  tide  marshes  where  it  seems  to  flourish,  it  is  often 
subjected  to  inundations  which  wholly  submerge  its  haunts  for  many  hours  at 
a  time.  I  have  detected  in  its  burrows  the  broken  and  emptied  shells  of  the 
smaller  snails  which  may  be  found  in  moss  and  decaying  mold  and  under 
logs  and  the  loose  bark  of  rotting  stumps.  Of  land  snails  the  Pupidce, 
Helicidce,  and  Zonitidce,  and  in  fresh  water  species  the  Limntzas  and  Physas 
are  preferred.  What  salt-water  species  they  consume  I  cannot  state,  but  no 
doubt  the  small  mollusca  and  Crustacea  of  the  salt  marshes  are  utilized.  The 
insect  diet  of  these  shrews  is  no  doubt  large,  but  what  species  are  preferred  I 
cannot  state.  The  freshly  killed  remains  of  small  beetles  in  their  burrows 
indicates  Coleoptera  as  one  of  the  class  devoured.  No  doubt  small,  tender 
larvae  of  all  insects  are  preferred  to  the  adults.  That  these  tiny  shrews  are 
omnivorous  is  shown  by  their  fondness  for  the  cheese,  raisins,  cornmeal,  oat- 
meal and  pieces  of  meat  with  which  they  are  attracted  to  a  trap.  They  also 
quickly  mutilate  an  unfortunate  shrew  or  mouse  which  may  be  imprisoned  in 
a  trap,  seeming  to  prefer  the  eyes  and  brains  to  other  parts  of  the  carcass. 
Their  fondness  for  dead  and  even  decaying  animals  is  attested  by  Godman. 
The  nest  of  this  species  I  am  not  sure  I  have  ever  found,  though  one  com- 
posed of  fine  grasses  in  a  rotten  log  where  they  frequented  seemed  too  small 
for  any  other  species  of  mammal  known  to  me.  The  eyes  of  this  shrew  are 
well  developed  like  those  of  the  short-tailed  or  mole  shrew  (Blarina). 
Owing  to  the  length  of  tail,  shortness  of  legs,  weakness  of  feet  and  slender- 
ness  of  body  this  shrew,  is  more  like  a  weasel  in  build  and  habits  than  like  a 
mole. 

Description  of  species. — As  there  is  only  one  other  species  of  the  long- 
tailed  shrew,  now  known  in  our  limits,  which  is  likely  to  be  confounded  with 
the  masked  shrew,  I  will  define  both  under  this  heading.  The  other  species 
is  the  smoky  shrew,  Sorex  fumeus,  next  considered,  a  much  rarer  species  and 
confined  to  the  mountainous  regions  of  the  two  States.  In  those  parts  it  is 
found  associated  with  S.  personatus.  The  latter  is  smaller  and  lighter  col- 
ored, its  hind  foot  being  only  ^  inch  long,  while  the  foot  of  fumeus  is  two 
millimeters  (fa  of  an  inch)  longer.  The  color  of  fumeus  is  a  general  smoky 
slate-color  throughout,  but  that  of  personatus  is  clear  brown  on  the  back  and 
the  underparts  are  whitish  gray.  The  second  and  third  upper  front  teeth  of 
fumeus  are  twice  the  size  of  the  fourth  and  fifth  ;  in  personatus  there  is  a  reg- 
ular dimiution  in  the  size  of  those  teeth  from  the  third  to  fifth. 

Measurements  (personatus}. — Total  length,  105  mm.  (4^  in.)  ;  tail  ver- 
tebrae, 40  (i^);  hind  foot,  12  (J£)-  (fumeus}  115  (4^);  45  C1^)  U 
(*)- 

Smoky  Shrew.     Sorex  fumeus  Miller. 

1895,  Sorex  fumeus  Miller,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  10,  p.  68. 


MAMMALS  PA.  AND  N.  J.,  RHOADS. 


ALL  FIGURES  NATURAL  SIZE. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  19 1 

Type  locality. — Peterboro,  Madison  Co.,  New  York. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian  and  upper  transition  zones  of  eastern 
United  States ;  southward  in  higher  Allegheny  Mountains  to  N.  Carolina. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — This  species  is  comparatively  rare  wherever 
found,  as  distinguished  from  the  abundance  of  S.  personatus  in  certain  locali- 
ties. In  the  swamps  and  spring-heads  of  the  colder  mountain  tops,  where 
the  smoky  shrew  is  most  at  home,  fumeus  and  personatus  are  taken  in  about 
equal  numbers.  As  the  list  of  specimens  will  show,  the  smoky  shrew  is  evenly 
distributed  in  Pa.  within  the  Canadian  and  upper  transition  life  zones.  In 
N.  J.  I  have  only  found  it  twice  in  counties  of  the  northern  border.  The 
specimens  taken  by  me  in  Beaver  Co.,  Pa.,  indicate  the  nearest  approach  to 
the  austral  zone  I  have  noted  in  this  species. 

Habits,  etc. — I  have  never  found  this  species  in  open  country.  It  seems  to 
confine  itself  to  wooded  situations,  especially  those  where  rocks  abound.  In 
its  food  and  general  manner  of  life  it  undoubtedly  resembles  the  masked 
shrew  living  in  the  same  places. 

Description  of  species. — See  above  under  Sorex  fumeus. 

Specimens  examined  or  recorded. — Pa. — Beaver  Co.,  Beaver,  2.  Bedford 
Co.,  Hyndman,  i.  Cambria  Co.,  Cresson,  several;  Krings,  i.  Clinton  Co., 
near  Round  Island,  7  ;  Renovo,  4.  Forest  Co.,  Parrish,  i.  Monroe  Co., 
Pocono,  2  ;  Gresco,  i.  Pike  Co.,  Dingman's  Ferry,  2.  Somerset  Co.,  Sum- 
mit Mills,  2.  Sullivan  Co.,  Lakes  Ganoga  and  Leigh,  9 ;  Eaglesmere,  3. 
Susquehanna  Co.,  Dimoch,  i.  N.  J. — Passaic  Co.,  Greenwood  Lake,  i. 
Sussex  Co.,  near  Culver's  Gap,  i. 

Eastern  Marsh  Shrew ;  Big  Water  Shrew.  Sorex  palustris  albi- 
barbis  (Cope). 

1862.  Neosorex  albibarbis  Cope,  Proceedings  Academy  Natural  Sciences, 
Phila.,  p.  1 88. 

1892.  Sorex  albibarbis  Merriam,  Proceedings  Biological  Society,  Washn., 
vol.  7,  p.  25. 

Type  locality. — Profile  Lake,  Grafton  Co.,  N.  Hampshire. 

Faunal  distribution. —  Hudsonian  and  Canadian  zones;  Atlantic  Ocean  to 
Lake  Superior  ;  Labrador  to  Pennsylvania. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Only  known  from  a  single  specimen  taken 
in  northeastern  Pa.  Not  likely  to  be  found  in  N.  J.  May  eventually  be 
found  in  parts  of  the  higher  Alleghanies  of  Pa.,  but  long-continued  trapping 
with  this  object  in  view  has  failed  to  secure  a  second  specimen.  The  extreme 
rarity  of  this  shrew  in  our  limits  is  thereby  fully  demonstrated. 

Records  in  Pa.— The  following  is  the  original  announcement  of  the  capture 
of  the  eastern  marsh  shrew  in  Pa.  It  is  quoted  from  the  Proc.  Acad.  Nat. 


192  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Sciences,  Phila.,  1894,  p.  395  :  "It  is  with  no  small  satisfaction  that  I  an- 
nounce the  discovery  of  a  member  of  this  subgenus  \_Neosorex\  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. One  specimen  was  taken  along  the  banks  of  a  rocky  stream  flowing 
into  the  Big  Bushkill,  in  Monroe  county.  It  is  the  most  southerly  record  for 
the  subgenus,  the  previous  southern  record  being  Warwick,  Massachusetts. 
After  going  over  the  ground  somewhat,  it  appears  proper  to  endorse  the  veri- 
fication of  Mr.  G.  S.  Miller,  Jr.,  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History,  in  giving  this  shrew  the  name  applied  to  New  England  ex- 
amples by  Prof.  Cope,  in  1862.  Specimens  from  Lac  Aux  Sables,  Quebec, 
and  from  Lincoln,  Maine,  agree  better  in  the  brownish  cast  of  lower  parts 
with  Prof.  Cope's  diagnosis  of  albibarbis  as  contrasted  with  the  'ash  colored' 
belly  of  5.  palustris  given  by  Richardson  in  the  Fauna  Boreali  Americana. 
In  the  Monroe  county  specimen,  though  identical  in  dentition  and  propor- 
tionate measurements  with  my  Canadian  specimens,  the  colors  are  much  as 
in  Richardson's  diagnosis  of  palustris,  showing  that  the  brown  belly  character 
is  inconstent  in  eastern  specimens.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  excep- 
tions are  in  immature  pelage.  For  a  full  discussion  of  these  questions,  see 
paper  by  Mr.  G.  S.  Miller,  Jr.,"  above  referred  to,  vol.  26. — Rhoads. 

Habits,  etc. — I  can  find  no  satisfactory  references  to  the  habits  of  this  ani- 
mal. From  its  structure  and  the  nature  of  the  localities  it  frequents,  it  must 
be  the  most  aquatic  of  our  eastern  shrews,  confining  its  wanderings  closely  to 
watercourses  and  lakes. 

Description  of  species. — In  size  about  equal  to  large  specimens  of  the  mole 
shrew,  Blarina  brwicanda  ;  nearly  10  times  that  of  the  small  species  of  Sorex 
above  treated.  It  is  immediately  distinguished  from  any  American  species 
of  Blarina  or  typical  Sorex  by  the  large,  relative  size  of  the  feet,  the  hind 
foot  being  very  long,  broad,  bordered  by  a  rim  of  stiff  bristles  and  slightly 
webbed,  all  these  characters  adapting  it  to  more  aquatic  life  as  contrasted 
with  our  other  shrews.  The  tail  is  nearly  as  long  as  head  and  body  and  in 
most  respects  similar  to  that  of  Sorex.  Color  above  blackish  slate,  sparingly 
mixed  with  light-tipped  hairs,  chin  whitish  or  grayish,  rest  of  under  parts 
heavily  clouded  with  dusky.  Tail  bicolor,  blackish  above,  whitish  below. 
The  above  is  Merriam's  description  of  eastern  specimens  supposed  to  be 
typical.  Compare  this  with  my  remarks  on  the  Pa.  specimen  above  quoted. 
As  the  evidence  in  hand  points  to  only  a  racial  or  subspecific  difference  be- 
tween palustris  of  Minnesota  and  Alberta  and  the  New  England  albibarbis  I 
have  so  indicated  it  at  the  head  of  this  article. 

Genus  Blarina  Gray,  Proceedings  Zoological  Society,  London,  1838,  p.  124. 

North  Eastern  Mole  Shrew;  Large  bob-tail  Shrew.  ?  Blarina 
brevicanda  (Say). 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  193 

1823.  Sorex  brcvicandus  Say,  Long's  Expedition  Rocky  Mountains,  vol.  i, 
p.  164. 

1857.  Blarina  brevicauda  Baird,  Mammals  North  America,  p.  42. 

Type  locality. — Near  Blair,  Washington  Co.,  Nebraska. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian,  transition  and  upper  austral  zones ;  At- 
lantic Ocean  to  Nebraska  and  Manitoba ;  Quebec  to  Virginia ;  replaced 
southward  by  B.  carolinensis,  a  distinct  species.  (See  Proc.  A.  N.  Sci., 
Phila.,  1897,  pp.  310,  311.) 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and N.J. — This  species  stands  pre-eminent  above  all 
others  of  our  mammals  in  its  combined  abundance  and  universality  of  dis- 
tribution in  all  conceivable  situations.  Not  a  place  riave  I  trapped  over  in 
the  two  states  but  what  it  was  among  the  first  species  to  be  caught.  It  is 
found  in  our  deepest,  coldest  mountain  ravines,  on  the  stony,  barren  moun- 
tain top,  in  the  banks  and  valleys  of  low  tidewater  streams  and  the  maritime 
marshes,  and  delights  in  roving  from  the  cool  spagnum  bogs  of  the  N.  J. 
cedar  swamps,  where  the  temperature  may  be  below  60°,  to  the  hot  sand 
barrens  of  the  adjoining  fields  with  a  midday  heat  of  110°.  Forest  and  plain, 
sand  and  clay,  barren  or  fruitful  field,  back  woods  and  dooryard,  heat  and 
cold,  wet  and  dry,  day  and  night,  have  common  charms  for  this  cosmopolite. 

Habits,  etc. — It  is  supposed  by  some  observers  that  the  fetid  odor  emitted 
by  certain  glands  of  this  species,  more  particularly  the  male,  causes  its  rejec- 
tion by  all  preying  animals  as  cats,  dogs,  foxes,  minks,  skunks,  weasels,  owls 
and  hawks.  To  a  degree  this  is  true,  and  I  have  found  them  lying  dead  in 
open  places  in  the  woodland  or  along  lanes,  paths  and  roads  where  they  had 
evidently  been  dropped  by  foxes,  and  owls,  as  the  wounds  in  the  body 
showed.  That  they  are  not  always  rejected  may  be  seen  by  examining  the 
lists  of  stomach  contents  and  pellets  or  rejects  of  several  species  of  hawks 
and  owls.  Some  cats  and  dogs  will  eat  them.  The  most  offensive  males  may 
be  generally  rejected,  and  I  doubt  not  this  odor  has  a  deterrent  effect  upon 
would-be  offenders,  acting  as  a  preservative  of  the  species.  The  more  I  ob- 
serve and  inquire  into  the  economy  of  the  large  mole  shrew  the  more  I  am 
convinced  that  it  is  locally  the  most  potent  factor  in  preserving  the  economic 
equilibrium  among  the  smaller  mammalia  which  the  Creator  established  as 
conserving  the  highest  good  of  the  greatest  number.  The  following  was  con- 
tributed to  the  "  American  Friend,"  of  Phila.  (Nov.  26,  1896,  p.  1149).  It 
gives  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life-history  of  this  interesting  animal. 

"It  is  surprising  how  few,  even  among  very  intelligent  people,  have  the  re- 
motest conception  of  what  constitutes  a  shrew.  I  venture  that  ninety  per 
cent,  of  the  persons  I  have  conversed  with  on  the  subject  have  had  no  other 
idea  of  shrews  than  the  kind  depicted  in  Shakespeare's  comedy,  and  when  I 
gravely  state  to  them  that  I  have  caught  so  many  shrews  the  effect  is  rather 
amusing.  Though  rarely  seen,  even  by  the  most  curious  observers  of  nature, 


194  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

the  subject  of  this  article  far  outnumbers  any  other  species  of  native  mammal 
found  in  eastern  North  America.  Like  other  members  of  its  family  it  is  in- 
sectivorous, depending  almost  wholly  on  animal  food  for  subsistence,  and  with 
its  near  kinsman  the  mole,  which  it  greatly  resembles,  is  supposed  to  feed 
principally  on  worms. 

It  belongs  to  the  genus  Blarina,  or  short-tailed  shrews,  distinguished  from 
the  typical  shrew  of  the  genus  Sorex  by  the  abbreviated  tail,  and  by  slight 
differences  in  the  structure  of  the  skull  and  teeth.  There  are  four  or  five 
species  of  these  short-tailed  or  mole  shrews  in  the  eastern  United  States,  but 
all  yield  in  point  of  size,  numbers,  and  universality  of  distribution  to 
Blarina  brevicauda.  A  full-grown  specimen  is  about  five  inches  long,  less 
than  one  inch  of  this  being  devoted  to  the  tail.  The  shape  of  the  body  and 
head,  the  character  of  the  fur  and  the  apparent  absence  of  eyes  suggests  the 
mole,  and  many  people  undoubtedly  confound  the  two,  but  an  examination  of 
the  feet  shows  a  decided  difference,  those  of  the  shrew  being  shaped  and 
placed  more  as  in  the  mice,  and  the  shrew  never  attains  more  than  half  the 
bulk  of  a  full-grown  mole. 

It  is  to  the  underground  habits  of  so  many  of  our  small  mammals  that  we 
must  charge  much  of  our  ignorance  of  this  interesting  class  of  creatures. 
Add  to  this  the  fact  that  their  chief  period  of  activity  is  at  nightfall,  and  the 
wonder  ceases.  There  are,  however,  means  of  getting  at  many  of  the  secrets 
of  their  little  lives,  and  it  is  surprising  how  much  one  can  unearth  by  the 
judicious  use  of  a  few  mouse-traps  in  the  nearest  bit  of  wild  land,  or  even  in 
one's  own  garden  or  lawn.  Turn  over  fallen  logs,  boards,  fence-rails,  and 
stones,  scratch  among  fallen  patches  of  leaves  or  high  grass,  part  the  tussocks 
in  the  meadow  or  the  sphagnum  in  some  deep,  shady  bog,  and  ten  to  one, 
the  first  thing  you  are  likely  to  catch  in  the  intricate  and  innumerable  run- 
ways and  burrows  that  thread  these  places  is  Blarina  brevicauda.  Be  it 
mountain  or  valley,  forest  or  plain,  rocky  or  sandy,  wet  or  dry,  hot  or  cold, 
in  season  and  out  of  season,  the  professional  mouse-trapper  over  the  entire 
country  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  Carolinas,  and  from  the  Mississippi  to  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  first,  last,  and  all  the  time,  expects  to  be  bored  with  a  super- 
fluity of  mole  shrews.  From  the  point  of  view  of  a  respectable  native  mouse 
there  cannot  exist  a  more  pestiferous  busy-body,  free-booter  and  cannibal 
than  a  Blarina.  There  is  only  one  way  of  escaping  his  intrusions,  and  that 
is  to  climb  a  tree,  but  not  one  mouse  in  ten  can  do  that.  Some  of  the  most 
valuable  catches  T  ever  made  along  a  line  of  traps  bear  the  tooth  marks  of 
this  ferocious  little  meat-eater.  Other  specimens  are  often  completely  de- 
voured, and  often  they  devour  each  other.  Confined  in  a  vessel  with  much 
larger  and  more  agile  species  than  themselves  they  quickly  vent  their  spleen 
at  the  restraint  by  persistently  hounding  their  companions  to  death,  and  de- 
vouring them.  In  this  way  one  of  these  shrews  is  stated  by  John  Morden,  of 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  195 

Hyde  Park,  Ontario,  to  have  eaten  three  times  its  own  weight  of  meadow 
mice  in  twenty-four  hours. 

In  view  of  their  great  numbers  we  naturally  query  what  economic  relations 
they  bear  to  man  and  to  nature.  Undoubtedly  the  purely  mechanical  effect 
of  their  universal  burrowing  and  rooting  in  the  soil  is  an  important  factor  in 
that  economy.  It  is  known  that  they  subsist  to  some  extent  on  vegetable 
food,  chiefly  nuts,  but  they  do  only  indirect  damage  to  agriculture  by  dis- 
turbing the  roots  of  plants.  On  the  other  hand,  there  is  little  doubt  that 
they  destroy  an  amazing  number  of  noxious  grubs,  beetles,  and  worms,  and 
it  is  probable  that  the  part  they  play  as  underground  scavengers  is  import- 
ant. They  also  do  much  in  checking  the  increase  of  the  native  mice  of  our 
meadows  and  woodlands. 

Of  the  domestic  habits  of  the  mole  shrew  we  know  very  little,  and  that,  in 
a  general  way,  would  seem  to  point  toward  anything  but  conjugal  felicity  or 
fidelity,  and  their  fraternal  relations  may  safely  be  set  down  as  far  below  par. 

A  friend  of  mine  who  has  long  peered  curiously  into  nature's  secrets  with- 
out a  mouse-trap,  relates  that  the  only  time  he  ever  saw  one  of  these  creatures 
alive,  its  hind  foot  was  being  slowly  chewed  by  another  of  the  same  species, 
which  had  firmly  anchored  itself  underground  in  a  position  which  would 
allow  it  to  enjoy  the  repast  without  observation.  The  squeaks  and  struggles 
of  its  victim  first  attracted  the  notice  of  my  friend. 

The  mole  shrew  builds  a  nest  of  grass  and  leaves  in  dry,  underground  situ- 
ations, to  which  it  resorts  not  only  for  its  own  shelter,  but  for  that  of  its 
young.  Four  to  six  young  compose  a  litter,  and,  as  with  our  native  mice, 
the  young  are  born  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  though  less  frequently  in  win- 
ter."— Rhoads. 

I  may  add  that  they  eat  a  good  many  of  the  yarious  genera  of  snails  and 
undoubtedly  devour  certain  of  the  salamanders  and  other  batrachians  and 
reptiles  which  haunt  their  burrows.  For  a  discussion  as  to  the  false  charges 
made  against  this  animal  by  agriculturists  read  my  previous  remarks  under 
habits  of  the  northern  pine  vole,  Microtus  pinetorum  scalopsoides. 

Description  of  species. — For  a  general  account  see  above  quotation.  The 
color  is  uniform,  sooty  slate-brown  above,  more  ashy  below.  When  the  fur  is 
smoothed  flat  it  has  the  peculiar  sheen  or  gloss  of  the  mole.  Specimens 
from  southern  N.  J.  are  lighter  colored  and  less  sooty,  nearly  light  slate  in 
some  cases.  Having  examined  about  400  specimens  of  the  large  eastern 
Blarina  from  many  localities  between  Quebec  and  Virginia,  I  incline  to  the 
belief  that  Sorex  talpoides  of  Copper  should  apply  to  this  animal  as  a  sub- 
species or  race  of  typical  brevicauda  found  in  the  Great  Plains  region.  The 
specific  separation  of  B.  carolinensts,  which  J  have  previously  advocated, 
removes  the  only  objection  cited  by  Merriam  (N.  Amer.  Fauna,  No.  10,  p. 
u)  which  may  be  considered  r.s  valid  against  this  course.  The  varying  dif- 


196  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

ferences  in  size  of  eastern  series  from  N.  England,  New  York,  etc.,  as  cited 
by  Merriam,  do  not  show  anything  more  than  what  we  would  expect.  The 
variation  among  these  is  small,  as  I  have  just  determined  by  averaging  a  very 
much  larger  series  from  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  Maine,  Quebec,  Central 
Pa.  and  Northern  and  Southern  N.  J.  in  my  collection.  This  only  establishes 
the  fact  that  Quebec  specimens  are  about  5  millimeters  longer  (h.  foot,  i 
mm.  longer)  than  those  from  Pa.  and  N.  J.,  which  latter  do  not  materially 
differ  in  size.  In  short  there-is  a  uniformly  smaller  size  and  paler  coloration 
in  the  Blarinas  east  of  Nebraska.  This  pale  coloration  finds  its  extreme  on 
the  N.  England  and  N.  Jersey  coasts.  I  believe  the  diminutive  examples 
from  Martha's  Vineyard  and  Nantucket  are  insular  forms  which  should  not  be 
considered  in  this  connection.*  As  to  the  inapplicability  of  Gapper's  name 
because  given  to  an  intermediate  form,  we  have  often  had  to  accept  such 
names  in  preference  to  using  another.  If,  however,  talpoides  is  not  con- 
sidered applicable  we  have  a  better  name,  given  by  Bachman  in  the  Journal 
of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Phila.,  in  1837,  to  a  specimen  from 
northern  N.  J.,  viz  :  "Sorex  dekayi  (Cooper,  mss.)."  The  alternatives  would 
therefore  be:  Blarnia  brevicauda  talpoides  (Gapper),  1830,  or  Blarina 
brevicauda  dekayi  (Cooper,  mss.,  Bachman),  1837  ;  habitat :  Eastern  Canada 
and  the  United  States  from  Lake  Superior  and  the  Mississippi  Valley  to  the 
Atlantic  Ocean. 

Measurements  (series  of  70  from  Alleghany  Mts.,  Pa.). — Total  length, 
122  mm. ;  tail  vertebrae,  23  ;  hind  foot,  15.  (Series  of  30  from  southeastern 
peninsula  of  N.  J.),  120,  24,  15.  (Series  of  40  from  northern  N.  J.),  122, 
24,  15.5.  (Series  of  13  from  Lac  Aux  Sables,  Charlevoix  twp.,  Quebec, 
Canada),  125,  26,  16. 

Least  Mole  Shrew;  Small  bobtail  Shrew.     Blarina  pan^a  (Say). 

1823.  Sorex parvus  Say,  Long's  Expedition  to  Rocky  Mountains,  vol.  i, 
p.  163. 

1895.  Blarina  pan >a  Merriam,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  10,  p.  17. 

Type  locality.— Near  Blair,  Washington  Co.,  Nebraska. 

Fauna!  Distribution. — Austral  zone,  rarely  into  lower  edge  of  transition  ; 
New  Jersey  to  Florida  ;  west  to  Texas  and  Nebraska,  intergrading  with  B. 
parva  floridana  (Merriam)  and  in  southern  Texas  with  B. parva  berlandien 
(Baird). 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — A  rare  species  wherever  found.  I  have 
only  noted  it  in  the  lowlands  of  the  two  States,  the  most  northern  record  be- 
ing that  given  by  Miller  for  the.  Hackensack  marshes,  Bergen  Co.,  N.  J.  No 

*  Since  this  writing  Mr.  O.  Bangs  has  described  these  insular  Blarinas  under  the  racial 
names  aloga  and  compacta. — See  Proc.  N.  Eng.  Zool.  Pub.,  3,  1902,  pp.  75-78. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  197 

record  of  it  is  known  to  me  from  southwestern  Pa.,  where  it  may  be  expected 
to  occur,  however. 

Records  in  Pa.—  Chester  Co. — An  alcoholic  specimen  from  West  Chester 
is  in  the  Cope  collection  at  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Phila.  A  skin 
from  Thorndale  is  in  my  collection. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Cumberland  Co. — Baird  describes  a  specimen  from  Carlisle  in  Mammals 
N.  America,  p.  50. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Bergen  Co. — "  Mr.  Frank  M.  Chapman  writes  me  that 
there  is  in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  a  specimen  of  this 
shrew  taken  on  then  Hackensack  marshes  in  New  Jersey  only  a  few  miles 
from  the  New  York  State  line." — Miller,  Bull.  N.  Y.  State  Museum,  1899, 
p.  362. 

Cape  May  Co. — Two  specimens  in  my  collection  were  captured  near  Cape 
May  a  few  years  ago. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Mercer  Co. — I  found  in  pellets  of  long-eared  owls  kindly  sent  me  by  Mr. 

A.  H.  Phillips,  of  Princeton,  N.  J.,  3  skulls  of  this  species.     The  pellets  were 
collected  by  Mr.  Phillips  in  1891,  near  Princeton. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Ocean  Co. — Merriam  records  3  specimens  from  Tuckerton.  See  North 
Amer.  Fauna,  No.  10,  p.  18.  I  trapped  one  several  years  ago  on  Barrel 
island,  in  Tuckerton  Bay. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Union  Co. — Mr.  Waldron  Miller,  of  Plainfield  writes  that  he  found  the 
skulls  of  i^B.parva  in  50  long-eared  owl  pellets  collected  in  1902,  near 
Berkeley  Heights.  Strange  to  say,  these  pellets  only  contained  3  skulls  of 

B.  brevicauda. 

Habits,  etc. — Never  having  seen  this  animal  alive,  and  having  only  trapped 
3  specimens,  my  knowledge  of  it  is  very  deficient.  It  is  evidently  at  home 
in  both  marshy  and  upland  grounds,  and  frequents  the  same  hiding  places  as 
the  masked  shrew,  Sorexpersonatus.  Its  capture  on  Barrel  Island  proves  it 
must  be  an  expert  swimmer  as  neap  tides  often  nearly  cover  everything  on 
the  island  from  sight,  and  the  shrews  have  to  cling  to  wreckage  and  drift  for 
hours  before  regaining  a  foothold  on  the  island. 

Description  of  Species. — A  short,  chunky,  bobtailed  shrew  with  body  about 
as  long  as  that  of  6".  personatus  and  fumeus,  but  twice  as  thick ;  the  tail  only 
half  as  long  as  theirs.  Color  above,  sepia  to  dark  hair  brown ;  beneath,  ash 
gray. 

Measurements. — (Specimen  from  Cape  May,  N.  J.),  total  length,  8i^mm. 
(3^  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  22  (j|)  ;  hind  foot,  n  (T\) ;  (specimen  from  Bar- 
rel Isl.,  Tuckerton  Bay,  N.  J.),  87,  17,  n.  By  comparing  these  measure- 
ments, made  in  the  flesh  by  the  same  collector  from  specimens  taken  in  the 
same  region,  we  see  that  Dr.  Merriam's  specific  distinctions  between  B. 
parva  and  B.  floridana,  based  on  size,  are  set  at  naught.  It  would  be  inter- 
esting to  know  what  the  collector's  measurement  of  the  3  Tuckerton,  N.  J., 


198  MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

examples  were.  Dr.  Merriam  merely  says  they  were  larger  than  Raleigh 
specimens.  The  dental  characters  assigned  to  floridana  and  berlandieri  are 
not  sufficient  for  specific  recognition.  As  above  given,  I  prefer  to  recog- 
nize these  merely  as  two  races  oiparva. 


Family  TALPIDJE,  Moles. 

Genus  Scalops  Illiger,  Prodromus  Systema    Mammalium    et   Avium,  1811, 

p.  126. 

Eastern  Naked-tail  Mole  ;  Common  Mole.  Scalops  aquaticus  (Lin- 
uaeus). 

1758.  [Sorex]  aquaticus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  53. 

1825.  Scalops  aquaticus  F.  Cuvier,  Dents  des  Mammiferes,  p.  251. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  United  States. 

Faunal  distribution. — Transition  and  austral  zones,  Massachusetts  to 
Georgia,  west  to  the  foothills  of  the  main  ridge  of  the  Allegheny  and  Blue 
Ridge  mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — So  far  as  known  to  me  this  mole  is  found 
in  every  county  in  N.  J.  In  Pa.,  east  of  the  Allegheny  mountains,  it  is  gen- 
erally and  abundantly  present  in  all  lowlands  and  in  river  bottoms  among  the 
mountains,  but  as  the  mountains  are  ascended  they  disappear,  being  replaced 
by  the  Brewer's  or  hairy- tailed  mole  in  the  upper  transition  and  Canadian 
zones.  In  Pa.,  west  of  the  Alleghenies,  all  the  evidence  secured  by  the  field 
work  of  Mr.  W.  E.  C.  Todd  and  myself,  as  well  as  the  testimony  of  other  ob- 
servers, is  against  the  existence  of  S.  aquaticus  in  that  region,  all  the  speci- 
mens examined  from  the  region  proving  to  be  either  Parascalops  or  Condylura. 

Regarding  the  distribution  of  this  species,  Dr.  F.  W.  True  in  his  mono- 
graph of  the  American  moles  (Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,  1896)  endeavors 
(pp.  8  to  10)  to  reconcile  therewith  the  schemes  of  faunal  distribution  in 
North  America,  proposed  by  Drs.  J.  A.  Allen  and  C.  H.  Merriam.  He  finds 
difficulty  in  so  doing  because  Dr.  Allen's  map  provides  for  an  Alleghenian 
fauna,  which  almost  cuts  in  half  the  distribution  of  Scalops  as  Dr.  True  has 
given  it  in  his  map.  The  real  difficulty,  however,  is  caused  by  Dr.  True's 
lack  of  data  regarding  the  distribution  of  Scalops  in  the  Allegheny  mountains. 
He  says  "it  unquestionably  occurs  in  the  Alleghany  mountains — that  is,  in 
the  southern  extension  of  the  cold  temperate  or  boreal  area."  On  looking 
over  his  list  of  specimens  examined,  however,  as  well  as  his  authenticated 
records  from  literature,  I  find  none  which  prove  it  an  inhabitant  of  this 
"boreal  area,"  except  the  specimen  from  Roan  Mountains  (No.  54748  Dep. 
Agric.  Coll.)  mentioned  on  p.  451.  This  may  have  come  from  the  side  of 


MAMMALS  OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  199 

the  mountain  below  the  boreal  summit,  as  in  the  case  of  the  one  from  N. 
Carolina  mentioned  next  in  the  table.  This  is  confirmatory  of  my  own  in- 
vestigations in  the  region  named.  It  is  also  confirmatory  of  the  correctness 
of  Dr.  Allen's  faunal  scheme  so  far  as  it  relates  to  this  region  and  of  the  in- 
correctness of  Dr.  Merriam's  map  mentioned  by  True,  which  includes  the 
entire  Pa.  Alleghenian  region  in  the  "transition  fauna."  Dr.  True's  map  of 
the  Northern  distribution  of  Scalops  along  the  southern  shore  of  Lakes  Erie 
and  Ontario,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  Pa.,  Ohio  and  N.  York,  is,  in  the  light  of 
subsequent  investigations,  proved  to  be  faulty,  the  Star-nosed  and  Brewer's 
moles  being  the  only  ones  certainly  recorded  from  these  regions  to  my  knowl- 
edge. The  character  of  the  evidence  on  which  Dr.  True  included  any  part 
of  the  region  north  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  the  St.  Lawrence,  so  far  as  given 
in  his  "  Revision,"  is  equally  untrustworthy.  Everything  points  to  a  more  or 
less  complete  Alleghenian  barrier,  separating  northern  S.  aquaticus,  typicus 
from  its  western  representatives,  the  only  land  connection  being  made  around 
the  southern  end  of  the  Allegheny  system  in  northern  Georgia. 

Habits,  etc. — The  common  naked-tailed  mole  of  the  region  east  of  the 
Alleghenies  seems  to  prefer  open  grounds  to  woodland,  and  is  practically 
absent  from  large  hemlock  forests  even  in  the  lower  transition  zone.  Alluvial 
soils,  devoid  of  rocks  and  stones,  they  most  delight  in,  but  wherever  the  earth- 
worm abounds,  even  in  rocky  and  gravelly  places,  the  mole  follows  suit  in  pro- 
portionate numbers.  I  have  seen  their  characteristic  sand  heaps,  by  which  their 
work  may  be  distinguished  from  that  of  the  mole  shrew  and  the  pine  mouse, 
in  the  midst  of  the  N.  J.  pine  forests.  In  such  places,  however,  the  earth- 
worms are  very  rare,  and  some  other  animal  food  must  have  been  the  attrac- 
tion. The  incessant  digging,  or  rather  ploughing  of  the  mole,  is  accom- 
plished almost  solely  by  the  use  of  the  fore-legs  and  head,  the  weak  hind  legs 
being  merely  props  in  comparison.  The  fore-legs  are  nearly  all  feet  in  an 
external  view,  the  powerful,  short,  massive  shoulder  and  arm  being  hidden 
wholly  by  the  contour  of  the  body.  When  burrowing  is  going  on  the  pig-like 
snout  is  set  on  a  level  with  the  bottom  of  the  burrow,  the  shovel-like  paws  are 
extended  directly  forwards  with  their  long  nails  against  tip  of  nose  on  each 
side,  and  with  a  simultaneous  upward  throw  of  the  nose  and  sidewise  strokes 
of  the  paws,  the  earth  is  forced  upward  and  sidewise  as  with  a  wedge.  In 
surface  digging  and  in  moist,  loamy  soils,  the  earth  is  merely  compacted  lat- 
erally and  raised  vertically  without  extraordinary  effort,  not  making  conspicu- 
ous surface  ridges,  but  when  they  must  go  deeper  and  in  hard  clayey  or  dry 
soils  the  strength  exerted  must  be  enormous,  and  where  too  solid  for  the  com- 
pacting wedging  process  the  soil  must  be  removed  by  other  means.  In  the 
mere  traversing  of  this  sort  of  ground  the  soil  can  be  packed  behind  the  ani- 
mal, but  as  they  generally  wish  to  have  a  back  door  escape  in  emergencies, 
the  burrow  is  completed  by  forcing  the  earth  to  the  surface  along  lateral  and 


200  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

vertical  shafts.  This  work  casts  up  the  large  mounds  of  a  half  to  quarter 
peck,  sometimes  seen  in  the  grounds  they  frequent.  How  this  earth  is  con- 
veyed I  cannot  state.  The  mole  is  very  suspicious  of  a  steel  or  other  trap 
set  into  the  ground  along  its  burrow  and  invariably  fills  it  with  earth,  burrow- 
ing under  or  around  it  until  it  can  regain  the  main  passageway.  At  the  same 
time  it  has  no  fear  of  repairing  a  tunnel  which  is  repeatedly  crushed  in  from 
above  and  is  thus  easily  caught  by  a  trap  devised  on  that  principle.  In  cap- 
turing a  mole  while  it  is  digging  near  the  surface  one  must  be  very  alert  and 
quick  of  movement,  being  sure  to  insert  the  spade  or  hoe  several  inches  be- 
hind where  he  seems  to  be  and  throw  out  a  good  quantity  of  soil  or  he  will 
escape  by  a  sudden  retrograde  movement  that  is  remarkable.  The  quickness 
and  speed  by  which  it  can  thus  escape  shows  that  it  must  run  backwards  in 
its  open  burrow,  as  the  size  of  the  burrow  and  the  speed  of  its  escape  would 
not  allow  of  turning.  Godman  describes  their  subterranean  home  : — "  It 
was  an  oval  cavity  about  6  or  7  inches  in  length  by  3  in  breadth  and  was 
placed  at  about  8  inches  from  the  surface  in  a  stiff  clay.  The  entrance  to  it 
sloped  obliquely  downwards  from  the  common  gallery  about  2  inches  from 
the  surface.  Three  times  I  entirely  exposed  this  all  by  cutting  out  the  whole 
superincumbent  clay  with  a  knife,  and  3  times  a  similar  one  was  made  a  little 
beyond  the  situation  of  the  former."  Godman  thinks  them  gregarious  or 
living  at  peace  in  families,  an  idea  I  can  concur  in,  having  caught  three  or 
four  individuals  of  different  ages  and  sexes  in  the  same  burrow  in  a  short 
period.  This  mole  is  active  during  winter  in  such  places  where  the  frost 
does  not  prevent  its  excavations.  At  this  season  it  must  work  at  consider- 
able disadvantage  in  the  northern  limits  of  its  range,  having  to  burrow  much, 
more  deeply  to  find  the  hibernating  insects  and  worms  on  which  it  so  largely 
subsists.  That  the  mole  voluntarily  comes  to  the  surface  of  the  ground  and 
so  remains  there  is  not  conceivable  when  we  observe  its  movements  in  that 
unfortunate  plight.  The  snout  is  capable  of  exquisite  discernment  in  discov- 
ering prey  and  the  nature  of  things  coming  in  contact  with  it  and  ability  to 
take  hold  of  and  force  into  the  mouth  the  living  insects  and  worms  encoun- 
tered. It  is  continually  in  motion  and  serves  largely  the  place  of  hands  and 
eyes  to  an  animal  practically  devoid  of  either. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  and  important  considerations  regarding  the 
mole  is  its  relation  to  agriculture  in  particular  and  to  nature  in  a  more  gen- 
eral sense.  The  following  observations  are  quoted  from  articles  published 
by  me  in  Forest  and  Stream  in  1898.  The  first  was  written  in  review  of  a 
Bulletin  published  on  this  subject  by  the  Pa.  Department  of  Agriculture  in 
the  same  year.  Its  subject  was  "  The  Economic  Status  of  the  Mole,"  by 
Harry  Wilson.  I  quote  : 

"On  page  17  Mr.  Wilson  gives  us  some  'Miscellaneous  Notes'  on  the 
common  mole  {Scalops  aquaticus),  which  are  of  value  as  adding  somewhat  to 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  2OI 

our  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  that  species,  the  actions  of  this  mole  in  swim- 
ming evidently  being  based  on  his  personal  observations,  though  the  author 
fails  to  say  so.  The  fact  that  Scalops  aquaticus  can  swim,  however,  is  not  an 
argument  in  favor  of  the  propriety  of  Linnseus's  specific  name,  as  Mr.  Wilson 
inclines  to  think.  The  most  strictly  terrestrial  mammals  can,  when  forced  to 
take  the  water,  swim  better  than  the  common  mole,  and  it  remains  a  fact  that 
our  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  this  species  shows  it  to  be  one  of  the  least 
aquatic  of  the  American  Talpidce. 

In  Part  II.  the  economic  relation  of  these  moles  to  agriculture  and  their 
distribution  in  Pennsylvania  is  discussed.  The  economic  question  is  treated 
on  the  basis  of  the  examination  of  thirty-six  stomachs  of  Scalops  aquaticus 
taken  in  eastern  Pennsylvania  between  June  19,  1896,  and  Oct.  13,  1897. 
No  examinations  of  the  stomachs  of  the  star-nose  mole  are  recorded.  For- 
tunately these  mole  stomachs  were  submitted  in  several  cases  to  the  proper 
specialists,  and  the  identifications  can  be  relied  upon  as  representing  the, 
fullest  and  most  accurate  record  of  the  food  of  the  common  species  through- 
out the  year  which  we  yet  possess. 

Of  the  36  specimens  examined,  all  contained  animal  food- matter ;  27  had 
eaten  earthworms  in  common  with  other  material ;  7  had  eaten  earthworms 
alone;  27  had  eaten  insects  of  which  a  large  proportion  were  injurious 
species,  as  Lachnosterna;  9  had  eaten  insects  only,  and  10  had  taken  vege- 
table matter  in  connection  with  insect  food.  None  had  taken  vegetable  mat- 
ter only.  Only  2  of  those  containing  vegetable  matter  could  have  devoured  it 
intentionally ;  one  of  these  had  short  sections  of  grass  blades  in  its  stomach, 
apparently  bitten  off  piece  by  piece,  but  as  this  stomach  also  contained  a 
June  bug  or  May  beetle,  Prof.  Howard  thinks  the  mole  was  only  indirectly 
icsponsible.  In  the  other  case  the  fragments  of  nearly  a  whole  grain  of  com 
were  found. 

Mr.  Wilson's  conclusions  as  to  the  economic  status  of  the  mole,  referring 
in  this  case  solely  to  the  common  Scalops  aquaticus,  may  thus  be  summarized  : 
i.  Stomach  examinations  with  very  few  exceptions  (and  these  perhaps  fortui- 
tous), acquit  the  mole  of  intentionally  devouring  vegetable  food.  2.  The 
mole  is  strictly  insectivorous  (independently  of  its  earthworm  diet),  devouring 
a  larger  portion  of  injurious  than  of  beneficial  insects.  3.  Having  so  proved 
it  is  equivalent  to  proving  that  its  work  is  beneficial  to  agriculturists,  the 
mechanical  injury  to  vegetation  due  to  its  burrowing  being  more  than  com- 
pensated by  its  destruction  of  noxious  insects.  4.  The  ravages  of  field  mice 
and  other  small  burrowing  rodents  which  follow  the  runways  of  the  mole  are 
almost  always,  the  cause  of  the  popular  prejudice  against  the  latter  animal. 

We  agree  largely  with  these  conclusions  so  far  as  they  go,  and  only  wish 
that  our  author  had  been  able  to  give  judgment  as  to  the  star-nose  mole. 
From  what  we  know  of  its  habits  and  distribution,  however,  as  well  as  its 


202  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

scarcity  in  arable  lands,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  a  more  harmless  mammal  than 
the  star-nose  does  not  exist. 

An  important  and  generally  ignored  subject  in  the  economy  of  the  mole  is 
the  significant  fact  that  its  food  consists  largely  of  earthworms.  Most  investi- 
gators seem  to  think  that  if  it  can  be  proved  that  the  mole  eats  nothing  but 
earthworms  and  insects,  then  he  is  clear  of  suspicion  and  an  unmixed  benefit 
to  agriculture.  One  of  Mr.  Wilson's  correspondents  significantly  says  that 
he  considers  the  common  mole  injurious  to  growing  crops  '  by  its  destruction 
of  earthworms' !  It  seems  most  pertinent  that  the  next  question  for  our 
agricultural  departments  along  this  line  of  research  should  be  first  to  decide 
whether  Darwin's  views  as  to  the  value  of  earthworms  to  soils  and  agriculture 
are  correct.  This  once  decided  in  the  affirmative,  it  remains  for  the  cham- 
pions of  the  mole  to  prove  that  its  destruction  of  worms  is  a  necessary  check 
to  their  excessive  increase,  and  that  the  mechanical  effects  of  the  mole  as  a 
worker  on  soils  are  of  greater  value  than  that  of  the  worms  it  destroys. 
Another  matter,  in  which  the  mole  figures  largely  in  hilly  districts,  where  the 
soils  are  easily  washed  by  rains,  is  its  agency  in  the  denudation  of  top  soils. 
In  some  parts  of  the  Ohio  Valley  the  effect  of  their  tunneling  on  arable  hill- 
sides is  most  disastrous." 

The  second  paper  in  Forest  ai,d  Stream  from  which  I  make  extract  was  on 
"  Owls,  Mice  and  Moles."  The  part  relating  especially  to  moles  in  this  is  as 
follows : 

"  Until  lately  we  have  known  very  little  of  scientific  fact  about  the  diet  of 
our  common  mole  (Scalops  aquaticus).  Under  the  direction  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania State  Board  of  Agriculture,  an  expert  examination  of  about  forty  stom- 
achs of  the  common  mole  shows  that  only  one  had  intentionally  devoured 
vegetable  food,  and  that  all  had  largely  depended  on  earth-worms,  June  bugs, 
click  beetles  and  other  "  injurious"  insects,  earth-worms  forming  the  bulk  of 
their  diet.  There  are  more  than  two  ways  of  judging  these  facts  from  the 
standpoint  of  economic  zoology.  Mr.  Harry  Wilson,  the  gentleman  who 
conducted  the  inquiry,  decides  to  his  own  satisfaction  that  any  animal,  if 
proved  to  be  insectiverous,  and  not  herbivorous  or  granivorous,  is  beneficial 
to  the  farmer.  On  these  grounds  he  is  content  to  rest  his  case,  acquit  the 
mole  of  wilful  trespass,  and  commend  him  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  hus- 
bandman. But  the  market  gardener  and  the  florist  and  the  owner  of  a  level 
lawn  exclaim  :  "  Not  so ;  we  will  grant  that  he  does  not  eat  our  seeds,  vege- 
tables, bulbs  and  grass  roots,  but  he  uproots  and  undermines  them,  and  makes 
a  thousand  passageways  in  which  noxious  mice  and  shrews  may  forage  and 
destroy." 

One  observer,  Mr.  E.  H.  Darlington,  of  West  Chester,  Pennsylvania,  voices 
the  opinion  of  another  and  a  surprisingly  small  class.  In  answer  to  the  ques- 
tions :  "Do  you  consider  the  mole  injurious  to  growing  crops?  In  what 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  203 

way?"  tabulated  in  the  bulletin  referred  to,  he  answers  :  "  By  the  destruction 
of  earthworms."  Mr.  Darlington  is  the  only  one  of  forty  correspondents  who 
suggests  that  the  earthworm  diet  of  the  mole  is  an  injury  to  crops.  Probably 
a  much  smaller  proportion  of  the  people  than  one  in  forty  ever  considered 
that  phase  of  the  question.  We  have  become  accustomed  to  watching  the 
robins  doing  yeomen  service  above  ground  in  this  line,  and  unconsciously 
have  got  to  thinking  that  the  earthworm  was  made  solely  for  dietary  pur- 
poses. Darwin,  however,  has  beautifully  demonstrated*  the  hidden  economy 
of  the  earthworm,  and  how  its  value  as  a  converter  of  decay  into  food  is  only 
exceeded  by  its  agency  in  tillage  and  the  manufacture  of  arable  soils. 

In  the  light  of  this  evidence,  the  fact,  now  fully  recognized  by  zoologists, 
that  the  mole  is  not  a  vegetable  feeder  marks,  but  one  step  in  our  investiga- 
tions of  its  economic  status.  A  second  step  in  the  right  direction  is  the  im- 
portant discovery  that  it  destroys  a  large  number  of  insects.  But  the  bur- 
den of  proof,  strictly  speaking,  yet  rests  upon  the  admirers  of  the  mole.  To 
these  we  would  put  three  significant  questions  :  ( i )  In  its  widest  accepta- 
tion, is  the  mechanical  action  of  moles  on  the  soil  more  beneficial  than  inju- 
rious to  vegetation?  (2)  Is  the  insect  food  of  moles  chiefly  composed  of 
species  classed  as  injurious  by  recognized  authorities?  (3)  Is  the  destruc- 
tion of  earthworms  by  moles  an  indirect  injury  to  agriculture  or  a  beneficial 
check  to  the  excessive  increase  of  the  earthworm  ?  The  writer  believes  that 
the  mole  will  eventually  triumph  in  this  controversy.  The  mole  has  been 
cleared  of  many  accusations  of  ignorant  and  short-sighted  people,  and  no 
doubt  can  satisfy  the  anxious  inquiries  of  would-be  friends.  We  have  good 
reason  to  predict  that  our  humble  and  industrious  Scalops  is  unwittingly  pur- 
suing a  wise  econpmy  in  its  varied  relations  to  soils,  drainage,  forestry,  agri- 
culture and  animal  life,  maintaining  that  wonderful  balance  of  nature  which 
man,  above  all  other  creatures,  has  conspired  to  disturb." 

Description  of  species. — This  mole  is  immediately  distinguishable  from 
Brewer's  mole  (with  which  it  is  so  generally  confounded  in  the  higher  moun- 
tainous districts  and  the  lowlands  of  Pa.  west  of  the  Alleghenies)  by  its  tail 
being  only  an  inch  long  and  apparently  destitute  of  hairs,  the  skin  being  a 
whitish  pink,  like  that  of  a  white  pig.  In  Brewer's  mole  the  tail  is  ^  inch 
longer  and  covered  throughout  with  long,  rather  stiff,  black  hairs  forming  a 
sort  of  rounded  brush  far  beyond  the  end  of  the  tail  proper.  In  size  there  is 
no  great  difference  between  the  species ;  in  color  Brewer's  is  the  darker 
(brownish  slate)  animal.  From  the  star-nose  mole,  which  has  a  disk  of 
radiating  fleshy  rays  on  the  end  of  the  nose  and  a  long  thick,  almost  naked, 
black  tail,  there  is  no  difficulty  of  separating  our  common  upland  Scalops.  A 

*  "  The  Formation  of  Vegetable  Mould  through  the  Action  of  Worms."  Charles  Darwin. 
New  York,  1882. 


204  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

race  of  Scalops  aquaticus  found  in  western  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  Valley 
beyond,  is  of  a  much  lighter  (silvery  or  yellowish  drab)  color.  Whether  a 
modified  form  of  this  race  (machrinus}  is  to  be  found  in  Pa.,  in  the  lowlands 
of  Greene,  Washington  and  Beaver  counties,  is  worthy  of  research.  So  far 
no  specimens  of  any  other  moles  than  Brewer's  and  the  star-nose  have  been 
received  from  western  Pa.,  nor  do  I  know  of  any  authentic  records  of  Scalops 
from  there. 

Another  animal  confounded  with  the  mole  is  the  large  mole  shrew  (Blarina 
brevicauda),  but  they  are  immediately  separable  by  an  examination  of  the 
fore  feet,  those  ef  the  mole  being  flat,  wide,  circular  and  ten  times  the  size  of 
the  shrew's,  the  latter  resembling  those  of  a  mouse.  In  color  the  two 
animals  are  quite  similar,  as  also  in  the  peculiar  quality  of  the  fur. 

Measurements, — Total  length,  162  mm.  (6^4  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  27  (iTV)  > 
hind  foot,  16.5  (£i). 

Genus  Parascalops  True,  Diagnoses  of  New  North  American  Mammals, 
1894,  pt.  2  (Proc.  N.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  vol.  17,  p.  242). 

Brewer's  Mole,  Eastern  Hairy-tail  Mole.  Parascalops  breweri 
(Bachman). 

1844.  Scalops  breweri  Bachman,  Boston  Journal  Natural  History,  vol.  4, 
P-32- 

1895.  Parascalops  breweri  True,  Science  (U.  States)  (new  series),  vol.  r, 
p.  191. 

Type  locality. — New  England?  Said  (erroneously,  fide  Miller)  by  Bach- 
man to  be  from  Martha's  Vineyard,  Massachusetts. 

Faunal  distribution. — Canadian,  transition  and  (rarely?)  edge  of  upper 
austral  zones  ;  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  western  Ohio ;  northern  New  Jersey  to 
North  Carolina,  in  the  mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Investigations  carried  on  in  Pa.  since  Dr. 
True's  "Revision"  of  onr  moles  show  that  breweri  is  the  common  mole  of 
the  more  mountainous  portions  of  the  state  and  that  west  of  the  higher  water- 
shed of  the  Allegheny  mountains,  even  in  the  lowlands,  it  wholly  replaces 
Scalops  aquaticus. 

Only  one  N.  J.  specimen  is  known  to  me.  The  northern  mountains  of  the 
state,  we  are  morally  certain,  will  be  found  to  harbor  it. 

Records  in  Pa. — Allegheny  Co. — Specimens  from  Pittsburg  and  Carnot  in 
the  Pittsburg  Carnegie  Museum. — Todd,  1901. 

Beaver  Co. — Specimens  from  Beaver,  ditto. — Todd,  1901. 

Butler  Co. — Several  specimens  from  Leasureville,  ditto. — Todd,  1901. 
Three  of  these  are  in  my  private  collection. — Rhoads,  1902. 


MAMMALS  PA.  AND  N.  J.,  RHOADS. 


Cant  mo-n Mole. 

Lesse rMde.  Shrew. 


ALL  FIGURES  NATURAL  SIZE. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY.  205 

Blair  Co. — "Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  mentions  a  specimen  from  Hollidaysburg 
which  is  in  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology,  Cambridge,  Massachusetts." 
— True,  Revision  1.  c.,  p.  73. 

Lycoming  or  Tioga  Cos. — This  species,  distinguished  by  him  from  Condy- 
lura  by  its  then  current  name,  "  Talpa  americana,  Black  Mole,"  is  given  in 
R.  C.  Taylor's  list  of  the  animals  observed  by  him  in  the  "northeastern 
extremity  of  the  Allegheny  Mountain  range  in  Pennsylvania." — See  Loudon's 
Mag.  N.  Hist.,  1835,  vol.  8. 

Somerset  Co. — Specimen  from  New  Lexington  in  Carnegie  Museum,  Pitts- 
burg. — Todd,  1901. 

Sullivan  Co. — Mr.  Behr,  of  Lopez,  has  found  several  specimens  in  that 
vicinity,  most  of  which  show  conspicuous  white  markings  on  the  head  or 
other  parts  of  the  body.  An  alcoholic  example  recently  sent  by  him  is  in  the 
Museum  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Washington  Co. — I  examined  a  specimen  mounted  by  J.  S.  Nease,  secured 
near  Washington. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Westmoreland  Co. — A  specimen  was  secured  alive  in  the  open  country 
outskirts  of  Laughlintown,  and  another  under  a  log  in  woodland  not  far 
from  the  same  place,  in  1878. — Rhoads. 

Western  Pa.  in  general. — My  field  experience  and  correspondence  agrees 
with  that  of  W.  E.  C.  Todd,  who  writes  :  "  Brewer's  is  the  common  mole  of 
West  Penna.  All  reported  instances  of  Scalops  from  that  region  turn  out  to 
be  Parascalops." — Rhoads,  1902. 

Records  in  N.  J. — A  mounted  specimen,  labeled  "  New  Jersey,  Edward 
Harris,"  has  long  since  been  in  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadel- 
phia. Harris  was  a  resident  of  Moorestown,  Burlington  Co.,  N.  J.  It  is  not 
likely  that  the  specimen  was  taken  in  that  county,  however. — Rhoads,  1902. 

General  record. — The  Hairy-tailed  Mole  "  is  much  less  abundant  than  the 
preceding  {Scalops  aquaticus~\t  to  which  it  bears  a  great  resemblance.  This 
mole  seems  to  prefer  low,  wet  grounds  even  more  than  the  preceding  species, 
and  burrows  somewhat  deeper,"  etc. — Abbott,  Geol.,  N.  J.,  1868,  appx.,  p. 
752.  Regarding  this  statement  Dr.  True  remarks:  "No  specimens  are  re- 
ferred to,  and  I  know  of  none  from  the  state  in  any  museum.  It  would 
seem,  therefore,  that  the  occurrence  of  the  species  in  New  Jersey  lacks  con- 
firmation."— Revision  N.  American  Moles,  p.  73.  The  burden  of  proof  in 
this  case  rests  with  Dr.  Abbott,  with  the  probabilities  against  him. — Rhoads, 
1902. 

Habits,  etc. — I  know  of  little  that  may  be  said  to  distinguish  the  habits  of 
this  species  from  that  of  the  naked-tailed  mole,  except  that  it  is  often  found 
in  rather  densely  wooded  tracts,  a  trait  not  noted  in  Scalops.  It  is  also  a 
tiller  of  the  arable  soils  of  the  farmer  and  gardener,  being  often  plowed  out 
of  the  grounds  in  its  haunts  in  western  Pa.,  and  in  those  regions  seems  as 


2O6  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

much  at  home  in  the  lowlands  and  the  door  yards  and  side-walks  of  the 
suburbs  as  does  Scalops  in  the  east.  Its  economic  relations  are  probably 
identical  with  those  of  Scalops. 

Description  of  species. — See  comparisons  under  preceding  species.  This 
species  is  often  found  curiously  pied  or  streaked  with  white  on  the  head, 
breast,  feet  or  tail. 

Measurements. — Total  length,  147  mm.  (5|f  in.);  tail  vertebrae,  30  (if\); 
hind  foot,  19  (?/4). 

Genus  Condylura  Illiger,  Prodromus  Systematis  Mammalium  et  Avium,  1811, 

p.  125. 

Star  Nose  Mole  ;  Long-tailed  or  Swamp  Mole.  Condylura  cristata 
(Linnaeus). 

1758.  \_Sorex\  cristatus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  53. 

1819.   Condylura  cristata  Desmarest,  Journal  de  Physique,  vol.  89,  p.  230. 

Type  locality. — Pennsylvania. 

Fauna!  distribution. — Lower  Hudsonian,  Canadian,  transition  and  upper 
austral  zones ;  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  Manitoba ;  southern  New  Jersey  to 
N.  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  in  the  mountains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — This  species  is  not  absent  from  any  part  of 
Pa.,  being  found  abundantly  in  the  cool  banks  of  mountain  streams  and  in 
bogs  and  swamps,  and  more  sparingly  in  the  open  lowlands  which  are  peren- 
nially damp.  In  N.  J.  the  same  remarks  apply  and  in  the  "barrens"  of  the 
southern  and  eastern  part  they  exist  only  in  the  sphaguum  bogs  and  cedar 
swamps. 

Records  in  Pa. — From  a  mass  of  correspondence  on  the  distribution  of  the 
mole  in  Pa.,  as  well  as  from  specimens  examined,  it  would  evidently  be 
superfluous  to  give  them  in  detail.  The  only  locality  where  True  seems  not 
to  have  heard  of  them  in  Pa.  is  in  the  southwestern  corner.  From  this 
region  I  have  examined  one  specimen,  as  I  now  remember,  sent  me  by  J.  S. 
Nease  as  having  been  taken  near  his  home  in  V/ashington,  Washington,  Co. 
In  Southeastern  Pa.  it  is  often  found  in  the  most  austral  and  lowland  situa- 
tions along  water  courses  and  in  swamps. 

Records  in  N.  J. — Specimens  from  the  northern  half  of  the  state  are 
numerous  in  collections;  from  the  southern  half  I  have  examined  them  from 
Vincentown,  Burlington  Co.,  Haddonfield,  Camden  Co.,  and  Tuckahoe,  Cape 
May  Co.  I  am  informed  by  Mr.  T.  P.  Price,  of  Tuckerston,  that  the  Jillson 
boys  have  captured  2  or  3  near  Tuckerton,  Ocean  Co. 

Habits,  etc. — As  contrasted  in  habits  with  the  other  moles  found  in  Pa.  and 
N.  J.,  this  species  may  be  designated  as  the  most  aquatic  in  its  preferences. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  207 

It  is,  more  literally,  a  mud  and  muck  dweller.  The  other  species  avoid 
marshy  and  inundated  grounds,  and  show  no  marked  preference  for  the 
vicinity  of  water,  but  the  star-nose  always  likes  to  have  his  nose  and  feet  wet. 
In  consequence  of  having  such  a  "  soft  snap,"  his  forefeet  and  legs  are  pro- 
portionately weaker  than  in  either  Scalops  or  Parascalops,  and,  if  we  may 
judge  by  its  remarkable  resemblance  to  that  of  the  muskrat,  his  tail  is  often 
brought  to  play  in  swimming.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  anatomy  of  this 
species,  as  well  as  its  chosen  habitat  infallibly  indicates  a  much  more  aquatic 
life  than  we  have  yet  been  able  to  prove  by  actual  observation.  As  the  boggy 
nature  of  its  house  is  distasteful  to  earthworms  and  other  animals  on  which 
the  upland  moles  subsist,  we  must  conclude  that  these  form  but  a  small  part 
of  its  diet,  but  the  numerous  aquatic  and  sub-aquatic  insects  and  crustaceans 
which  harbor  in  wet  meadows  and  stream  banks  would  form  bountiful  supply. 
Owing  to  its  choice  of  hunting  grounds  the  agriculturist  rarely  comes  in  con- 
tact with  it,  except  when  it  gets  too  rampant  in  its  digging,  and  muck-piling 
on  a  nice  piece  of  meadow  sod,  or  punches  holes  through  the  dykes  and 
dams.  Little  does  the  farmer  know,  however,  what  is  the  cause  of  all  this 
trouble,  much  less  that  if  it  were  not  for  this  self-same  "pesky  varmit"  his 
meadow  would  soon  get  so  "  stale,  unprofitable  flat  "  and  sour  that  his  cows 
would  abandon  it.  This  mole  has  4  to  6  young. 

Description  of  species.  —  The  color  is  a  dull,  blackish  slate,  quite  different 
from  the  glossy  sheen  of  the  common  mole.  The  tail  is  about  half  the  length 
of  head  and  body,  and  in  the  rutting  season  that  of  both  sexes  is  greatly 
swollen,  so  as  to  resemble  an  elongated  plummet,  the  base  of  the  tail  being 
constricted  to  less  than  %  the  greatest  diameter.  The  radiated  disk  of  the 
nose  is  a  conspicuous  character,  quite  unique  in  the  American  mole  family. 
Its  office  is  not  exactly  understood,  but  probably  enables  it  to  discover  food. 

Measurements.  —  Total  length,  170  mm.  (6^  in-)  ;  tail  vertebras,  71 
hind  foot,  27 


Order  CHIROPTERA;  Bats. 

Family  VESPERTILIONIDAE,  Plain-nosed,  web-tailed  Bats. 

Genus   Myotis   Kaup,  Skizzirte   Entw.,  Gesch.   u   Naturl.  Syst.   d.   Europ. 
Thierw.,  1829,  vol.  i,  p.  106. 

Lecontes'  Little  Brown  Bat.    Myotis  lucifugus  (Leconte;. 

1831.    V.  {espertilio~\    lucifugus   Leconte,    McMurtrie's    Cuvier's    Animal 
Kingdom,  vol.  i,  p.  431. 

1897.     Myotis  lucifugus  Miller,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  13,  p.  59. 


208  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

Type  locality. — Georgia.     PNear  Riceboro,  Liberty  Co. 

Faunal  distribution. — North  America  north  of  Mexico,  except  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  Pacific  coast  south  of  southern  Alaska ;  viz.  inhabit- 
ing the  Arctic,  Hudsonian,  Canadian,  transition  and  austral  life  zones. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — While  this  bat  is  to  be  found  throughout 
our  limits,  it  is  apparently  more  numerous  in  the  transition  and  Canadian  life 
zones  than  in  the  austral. 

Description  of  species. — Color  dull,  glossy  brown  above  ;  beneath,  on  belly, 
paler,  more  yellowish ;  ears  and  wings  light  brown.  Size  small ;  teeth  differ- 
ing from  those  of  the  next  species  (subulatus)  in  the  form  of  the  third  lower 
premolar.  "  When  viewed  from  the  side  this  tooth  is  conspicuously  broader 
in  proportion  to  its  height  in  M.  subulatus.  When  viewed  from  above  the 
tooth  is  much  larger  in  M.  subulatus  and  distinctly  longer  than  broad,  while 
in  M.  lucifugus  it  is  nearly  as  broad  as  long."  These  two  species  may  be 
genetically  separated  from  other  species  in  our  limits  by  the  following  tooth 
formula  :  Incisors,  "£.  -^  ;  canines,  ~  J  ;  premolars,  -^|  ;  molars,  ~|,  equal- 
ing 38  teeth  in  all,  20  in  the  lower  -jaw  and  18  in  the  upper  jaw.  The  back 
of  the  membrane  between  the  legs  is  naked  in  this  genus  except  at  the 
extreme  base.  In  lucifugus  the  ear  laid  forward  barely  reaches  the  end  of 
the  nose,  in  subulatus  the  ear  reaches  considerably  beyond  the  nose.  They 
do  not  differ  appreciably  in  color  nor  in  size. 

Measurements. — (lucifugus}  Total  length,  85  mm.  (3^  in.);  tail  vertebrae, 
38  (i#);  forearm,  38  (i^):  (subulatus)  85  (3#);  38  (t%);  35  (i#). 

Specimens  examined  or  recorded. — Pa.,  from  Beaver,  Butler,  Cambria, 
Clarion,  Clinton,  Elk,  Erie,  McKean  and  Westmoreland  Cos.  N.  J.  from 
Camden  and  Warren  Cos. 

Say's  Little  Brown  Bat.    Myotis  subulatus  (Say). 

1823.   V.\_espertilio~\  subulatus  Say,  Long's  Expedition,  Rocky  Mountains, 

VOl.  2,  p.  65. 

1897.  Myotis  subulatus  Miller,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  13,  p.  75. 

Type  locality. — Arkansas  River,  near  La  Junta,  Otero  county,  Colorado. 

Faunal  distribution. — North  America ;  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ; 
north  of  the  Arctic  zone. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Occurring,  or  likely  to  occur,  in  all  locali- 
ties. 

Habits,  etc. — The  habits  of  both  species  of  small  brown  bat  found  in  Pa.  and 
N.  J,,  so  far  as  they  are  disentangled,  seem  to  be  similar.  Dr.  H.  Allen  says 
they  are  a  strictly  "  pastoral  "  as  contrasted  with  the  "  urbal  "  kinds  which 
infect  houses  and  and  outbuildings.  They  seem  to  congregate  in  caves  and 
hollow  trees,  or  under  the  bark  of  decayed  tree  trunks.  Mr.  Todd  found 


MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY.  209 

ludfugus  "  exceedingly  abundant  in  a  cave  near  Hillside,  Westmoreland  Co., 
Pa.,  in  February,  1900,  roosting  in  clusters  containing  hundreds  of  individu- 
als." Dr.  Abbott  states  that  these  bats  "  appear  about  the  first  of  May  in  N. 
J.,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  dusk,  commence  a  flight  that  lasts  the  greater  part  of 
the  night,  killing  in  the  time  an  indescribable  number  of  insects."  The  insect 
diet  of  our  bats  is  a  feature  quite  worthy  of  consideration,  as  they  are  exclu- 
sively insectivorous,  so  far  as  we  know.  They  devour  a  great  quantity  of 
mosquitoes,  as  1  have  plainly  observed  before  dark  while  sitting  in  a  swarm  of 
these  pestiferous  insects,  the  bats  snapped  them  up  within  a  few  feet  of  my 
head.  Probably  nothing  comes  amiss  which  can  be  readily  seized,  but  the 
relatively  small  size  of  the  mouth  of  bat  as  compared  with  that  of  the  swifts, 
swallows  and  night-hawk  would  confine  it  to  small  species.  The  finely  broken 
elytra  or  wing  cases  of  beetles  can  be  found  in  their  excrement.  As  the  bat 
chews  its  food  before  swallowing,  it  is  difficult  to  identify  the  contents  of  its 
stomach.  The  flight  of  the  little  brown  bat  is  much  more  rapid  than  that  of 
Pipistrellus,  more  erratic  than  that  of  the  small  red  bat,  and  the  animal  is  easily 
distinguished  from  the  large  brown  bat  by  its  small  size.  As  compared  with 
the  flight  of  the  silver-haired  bat  I  cannot  distinguish  it.  Most  of  our  bats 
have  one  or  rarely  two  young.  These  cling  by  their  mouths  to  the  teats  of 
the  mother  until  large  enough  to  grasp  her  body.  Thus  laden,  she  pursues 
her  nightly  avocations  until  they  can  be  left  "  hung  up"  in  some  secret  place 
till  her  return.  The  method  of  alighting  is  first  by  the  wing  or  arm  hooks 
head  upward,  assisted  by  the  hind  feet.  As  soon  as  the  latter  are  firmly 
implanted  the  bat  turns  head  downward  and  hangs  by  the  sharply  recurved 
nails  of  the  hind  feet.  Frosty  weather  in  autumn,  or  such  as  makes  insects 
dormant,  has  the  same  effect  on  all  our  bats  in  varying  degrees.  By  this  time 
they  have  become  excessively  fat,  and  in  this  condition  go  into  hibernation  in 
such  places  as  are  not  subjected  to  very  low  winter  temperatures,  preferably 
caves.  From  these  they  emerge  in  spring  with  the  reappearance  of  noctur- 
nal insect  life.  Sometimes  they  come  out  duriug  a  February  thaw,  and  go 
back  again  until  April.  The  females  are  said  to  become  gravid  in  the  fall, 
and  bring  forth  in  the  spring,  an  unusually  long  period  of  gestation,  if  true. 
A  more  or  less  extensive  migration  of  some  species  of  bat  from  the  Canadian 
zone  southward  is  supposed  to  occur.  Especially  is  this  the  case  with  the 
genus  Lasuirus,  including  the  red  and  hoary  species  of  our  list.  The  voice 
of  all  our  bats  resembles  the  combination  of  hissing  sharp  squeaks  and  the 
clicking  or  gritting  of  teeth.  They  not  only  utter  these  when  abused,  but 
also  in  their  encounters  and  gambols  in  the  air,  and  when  a  large  cluster  are 
dislodged  in  a  cave,  these  shrill,  piercing  cries,  as  they  reassemble,  are  very 
disagreeable  and  sometimes  painful  to  the  ear. 

Description  of  species. — See  under  preceding  species,  M.  lucifugus. 

Specimens  examined  or  recorded. — Allegheny  Co.,  Carnot,  "  A  few  speci- 


210  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

mens  received." — McKees's  Rocks,  i.     Butler  Co.,  Leasureville,  i. — Todd, 
1902.     Crawford  Co.,  Meadville,  i. — Miller,  1897. 

Genus  Lasionycteris  Peters,  Montsaberichte  Koenig  Preuss.     Akad.  Wissen- 
schaften,  Berlin,  1866,  p.  648. 

Silvery  Black  Bat.     Lasionycteris  noctivagans  (Leconte). 

1831.  V.\es>pertilio~\   noctivagans   Leconte,  McMurtries'  Cuvier's   Animal 
Kingdom,  vol.  i,  p.  431. 

1894.  Lasionycteris  noctivagans  Cuvier  Supra  cit. 

Type  locality.— Eastern  United  States. 

Faunal  distribution. — Hudsonian,  Canadian,  transition  and  upper  austral 
zones  :  Atlantic  to  Pacific  Oceans.  Rare  in  middle  austral  zone. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — Numerous  in  all  parts  of  the  country  where 
I  have  collected  bats,  but  appearing  to  diminish  in  the  lowlands  of  southern 
N.  J. ;  not  nearly  as  abundant  in  Camden  Co.,  N.  J.,  as  in  Philadelphia  Co., 
Pa.,  through  only  separated  by  the  Delaware  River.  Mr.  Todd,  who  has 
collected  many  bats  in  the  region  of  Pittsburg,  only  reports  one  of  this 
species  from  Westmoreland  Co.  Dr.  Abbott  says  it  is  not  common  in  N.  J., 
"  Have  met  with  but  few  in  a  very  large  collection." — Geol.  N.  J. 

Habits,  etc. — Merriam  speaks  of  the  preference  of  this  species  to  hunting 
food  over  water,  skimming  around  like  swallows.  It  is  the  earliest  species  of 
bat  to  appear  after  sunset  and  by  far  the  most  common  bat  in  the  Adirondack 
region,  63  out  of  70  specimens  found  in  a  cave  being  noctivagans.  The 
young,  i  to  2  in  number,  are  born  in  early  July. 

Description  of  species. — This  bat  is  instantly  distinguished  from  all  other  of 
our  American  bats  by  its  peculiar  color,  a  deep  black-brown,  less  brown  than 
black,  more  or  less  abundantly  tipped  with  silvery  white  except  on  the  head. 
The  dental  formula  for  the  species  and  genus  is :  incisors,  |^  ;  canines,  *~j  ; 
premolars,  |^  ;  molars,  |£|,  or  36  teeth  in  all,  20  in  the  lower  jaw  and  16  in 
the  upper  jaw.  The  back  of  the  tail  membrane  is  hairy  on  the  basal  and 
naked  on  the  terminal  half. 

Measurements. — Total  length  100  mm.  (4  in.);  tail  vertebrae,  40  (iT9^); 
forearm,  40  (iTV)« 

Genus  Pipistrellus  Kaup,  Skizzirte  Entw.  Gesch.  u.  Naturl.  Syst.  der  Europ 
Thierw.,  vol.  i,  p.  98. 

Georgia  Pigmy  Bat.     Pipistrellus  subflavus  (F.  Cuvier). 

1832.  V.  \_espertilio~\  subflavus  F.  Cuvier,   Nouveaux  Annal.  Museum  d' 
Histoire  Naturelles,  Paris,  vol.  i,  p.  17. 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY.  211 

1897.  Pipistrellus  subflavus  Miller,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  13,  p.  90. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  United  States ;  probably  Georgia. 

Faunal  distribution. — Austral  and  lower  transition  zones  ;  Atlantic  Ocean 
to  Iowa  and  Texas. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — Found  abundantly  in  the  lowlands  of  the 
southern  sections.  Declining  in  numbers  northward  and  there  intergrading 
into  the  darker  race,  obscurus,  next  considered. 

Habits,  etc. — The  flight  of  this  small  bat  is  weak  and  fluttering,  like  that  of 
a  large  butterfly,  and  the  species  may  be  so  distinguished  at  sunset  among 
the  other  species  which  then  come  abroad. 

Description  of  species. — At  once  known  by  its  small  size  (smallest  of  our 
eastern  bats)  and  yellowish,  pale  color,  undulated  by  brownish  or  blackish 
tipped  hairs  above.  The  teeth  in  this  species  and  genus  number  34,  disposed 
as  follows  :  incisors,  j^  ;  canines,  -— ;  premolars,  ^v| ;  molars,  |-~;j,  making 
1 8  in  the  lower  and  16  in  the  upper  jaw.  From  obscurus  this  species  is 
separated  by  color  alone,  the  northern  race  being  duller,  less  yellow,  and  the 
dark  tips  of  back  hairs  more  conspicuous.  The  size  of  both  forms  is  the 
same. 

Measurements. — Total  length,  85  mm.  (3^  in.);  tail  vertebrae,  40  (i^-); 
forearm,  35  (i^4). 

Specimens  examined  or  reported. — Pa. — Beaver  Co.,  Beaver,  2. — Todd, 
1902,  Cumberland  Co.,  Carlisle,  7. — Miller,  1897.  Delaware  Co.,  Marple, 
2. — Rhoads,  1902.  Philadelphia  Co.,  Germantown. — Stone.  N.  J. — Cam- 
den  Co.,  Haddonfield,  several. — Rhoads,  1902. 

New  York  Pigmy  Bat.     Pipistrellus  subflavus  obscurus  Miller. 

1897.  Pipistrellus  subflavus  obscurus  Miller.     North  American  Fauna,  No. 

i3»  P-  93- 

Type  locality.— Lake  George,  Warren  County,  N.  York. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  transition  zone ;  Lake  George  to  Ohio ; 
probably  to  Minnesota. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — The  only  specimens  known  from  our  limits 
were  taken  by  Mr.  Todd  in  Beaver  Co.,  Pa.  He  writes  me  it  is  "  the  com- 
mon form  at  Beaver."  See  his  notes  published  in  Annals  of  the  Carnegie 
Museum,  vol.  i,  No.  i.  The  five  specimens  alluded  to  were  identified  by 
G.  S.  Miller,  Jr.  This  form  is  to  be  looked  for  in  the  lowlands  of  western 
and  northern  Pa. 

Habits,  description  of  species,  etc. —  See  under  P.  subflavus  preceding. 


tI2  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Genus  Eptesicus*  Rafinesque,  Annals  of  Nature,  Phila.,  1820,  p.  2. 

Northeastern  Large  Brown  Bat ;  House  Bat.  Eptesicus  fuscus 
(Beauvois). 

1796.   Vesper tilio  fuscus  Beauvois,  Catalogue  Peale's  Museum,  Phila.,  p.  14. 

1900.  Eptesicus  fuscus  Mehely,  Magyarorszag  Denevereinek  Mono- 
graphiaja,  p.  208. 

Type  locality. — Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

Faunal distribution. — Canadian  (lower),  transition  and  austral  life  zones; 
Maine  to  Washington,  south  to  Florida  and  the  mountains  of  California. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — With  the  possible  exception  of  certain 
boreal  tracts  on  the  culminating  ridges  of  the  Alleghanies  in  Pa.  the  range  of 
this  abundant  and  familiar  bat  is  universal  in  the  two  states. 

Habits,  etc. — Among  American  bats  this  species  may  be  said  to  correspond 
in  its  fondness  for  the  homes  of  man  to  the  mouse  and  rat,  or  to  the  robin 
and  the  wren  among  birds.  During  summer  they  are  as  likely  to  hang  up 
for  day  dreams  behind  an  unused  shutter  or  door,  or  crack  in  the  wall,  or 
shady  porch  or  outhouse,  as  anywhere  else.  At  night  they  incessantly  circle 
about  the  house  and  lawn  and  street  lamps  until  some  fleeing  insect  suddenly 
leads  one  into  the  kitchen  or  the  bedchamber  and,  ten-to-one,  a  panic  ensues, 
resulting  in  no  small  noise,  destruction  of  furniture  and  the  miserable  death 
of  the  innocent,  harmless  and  useful  bat.  Such  an  occurrence  as  this,  related 
by  Audubon,  happened  in  his  Kentucky  home  in  1818  in  the  bed  room 
occupied  by  the  traveler  Rafinesque.  It  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  a 
favorite  violin,  etc.,  and  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  follow  the  sequel,  in  the  im- 
mortality of  the  bat  as  "  Eptesicus  melanops  Raf.,"  which,  being  interpreted, 
is  no  less  than  a  synonym  of  Eptesicus  fuscus  (Beauvois),  the  subject  of  this 
article.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Rafinesque,  in  describing  the  genus 
Eptesicus,  says,  "The  name  means  house  flyer  ;"  and  of  the  species  melanops 
he  says,  "  It  comes  often  in  the  house  at  night ; "  recording  in  this  way  the 
indelible  impressions  of  his  midnight  battle  two  years  before.  This  bat  is 
accused  of  bringing  bed-bugs  and  other  insect  vermin  into  houses.  I  have 
never  found  any  vermin  *on  them  except  lice  of  a  species  not  parasitic  on 
man.  The  dirt,  caused  by  their  congregation  in  attics,  would  attract  and 
harbor  vermin,  however. 

Description  of  species. — On  account  of  its  size,  being  much  the  largest  of 
that  color  in  the  east,  our  big  brown  bat  may  be  separated  from  other  eastern 
species  solely  on  this  basis.  It  is  a  large  edition  of  two  small  brown  species 
belonging  to  the  genus  Myotis  previously  considered.  Generically  it  is  dis- 

*  Mr.  Miller  informs  me  that  Eptesicus  is  not  generically  separable  from  Vespertilio,  in  this 
agreeing  with  Dr.  Oldfield  Thomas. 


MAMMALS  PA.  AND  N.  J.,  RHOADS. 


PLATE  9. 


ALL  FIGURES  NATURAL  SIZE. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  2IJ 

tinct  from  Myotis,  and  also  from  the  genus  Nycticdus  (which  is  also  repre- 
sented in  Pa.  and  N.  J.  by  a  small  brown  bat)  in  the  number  and  arrange- 
ment of  the  teeth.  They  tabulate  thus:  incisors,  J'-J  j  canines,  -1-"1  ; 
premolars,  ^  ;  molars,  -J:J,  making  in  all  32  teeth,  of  which  18  are  in  the 
lower  and  14  in  the  upper  jaw.  In  Florida  and  the  Gulf  States  this  species  is 
represented  by  a  cinnamon-hued  race,  osceola  ;  in  Mexico  and  the  West 
Indies  by  other  races  ;  in  the  southwestern  States  by  pale,  desert  forms. 

Measurements.  —  Total  length,  no  mm.  (4^  in.)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  45 
forearm,  45 


Genus  Lasiurus,  Gray,  Zoological  Miscellany,  1831,  No.  i,  p.  38. 
Northern  Red  Bat  ;  Tree  Eat.    Lasiurus  borealis  (Mtiller). 

1776.    Vespertilio  borealis  Miiller,  Natursystem  ;  Supplement,  p.  21. 

1877.  Lasiurus  borealis  Miller,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  13,  p.  105. 

Type  locality.—  New  York. 

Fauna!  distribution,  —  Canadian,  transition  and  austral  zones  ;  Ontario  to 
the  Gulf  States  ;  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  Great  Plains. 

Distribution  in  Pa.and  N.J.  —  Everywhere  abundant  and  apparently  resi- 
dent. 

Habits,  etc.  —  Not  differing  essentially  from  those  of  our  small  bats,  except 
that  they  resort  largely  in  the  day  time  to  the  foliage  of  trees  for  a  resting 
place,  either  singly  or  in  pairs.  I  have  never  seen  large  groups  or  clusters  of 
individuals  of  this  species  as  in  the  other  kind,  nor  have  I  found  them  in 
caves,  except  very  rarely  a  single  one  near  the  entrance.  I  have  observed 
this  species  returning  from  apparently  extensive  flights  over  the  ocean  on  the 
N.  Jersey  coast  in  the  early  morning  before  sunrise.  On  one  or  two  occa- 
sions in  September  single  individuals  have  been  observed  flying  directly 
toward  the  shore,  so  exhausted  as  to  make  little  progress  against  a  land 
breeze  and  alighting  on  the  nearest  object  as  soon  as  land  was  reached.  It 
is  possible  that  these  had  been  blown  to  sea  during  their  migrations  along  the 
coast.  The  flight  of  this  bat  is  remarkably  direct,  rapid,  strong  and  lofty, 
the  motion  of  the  long,  slender-pointed  wings,  reminding  one  of  the  swift  or 
night  hawk. 

Description  of  species.  —  The  color  of  the  red  bat  is  characteristic,  separat- 
ing it  at  a  glance  from  all  others  associating  with  it.  It  is  rufous  red  through- 
out, paler  on  the  lower  parts.  The  hairs  above  are  tipped  with  gray  ;  their 
bases  are  blackish.  Some  specimens  are  so  profusely  tipped  with  gray  as  to  look 
like  a  different  race.  A  marked  character  of  the  genus  to  which  the  red  and 
hoary  bats  belong  is  the  densely  furred  inter-femoral  or  tail  membrane.  No 


214  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

doubt  this  serves  a  useful  purpose  as  a  blanket  in  cold  weather.  The  tooth 
system  is:  incisors,  -J-^-J- ;  canines, -J-jJ  ;  premolars,  ^  ;  molars,  fEf- 32,  of 
which  18  are  in  the  lower  and  14  in  the  upper  jaw.  A  minute  peg-like  upper 
premolar  is  found  at  the  base  of  the  large  canine  tooth  on  the  inner  side. 

From  the  hoary  bat  (L.  cinereus)  next  considered,  the  red  bat  is  known  by 
being  only  about  two-thirds  the  bulk  of  that  animal,  which  is  brownish  or 
yellowish  gray  instead  of  red.  The  hoary  bat  is  much  larger  than  any  other 
Pa.  or  N.  J.  bat. 

Measurements. —  (borealis},  total  length,  no  mm.  (4^  in.);  tail  verte- 
brae, 50  (2);  forearm,  40  (IT\).  (cinerus},  135  (5^)  ;  57  (2^),  52 

(•A). 

Hoary  Bat.     Lasiurus  cinereus  (Beauvois). 

1796.  Vespertilio  cinereus  ("  linereus"  sic.)  Beauvois,  Catalogue  of  Peale's 
Museum,  Phila.,  p.  15. 

1864.  Lasiurus  cinereus  H.  Allen,  Monograph  Bats  North  America,  p.  2. 

Type  locality.— Philadelphia  (?),  Pennsylvania. 

Faunal distribution. — Miller  (Monog.  Vespert.,  N.  Amer.,  p.  112),  gives 
it  as  "Boreal  North  America  from  Atlantic  to  Pacific.  The  hoary  bat  breeds 
within  the  Boreal  zone,  but  in  autumn  and  winter  it  migrates  south  to  the 
southern  border  of  the  United  States,  and  probably  much  farther." 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.J. — All  the  instances  of  the  capture  of  this  bat 
in  the  two  States  indicate  that  it  was  either  in  the  spring  or  fall  migration. 
It  may  breed  (reside  during  the  summer)  in  the  summits  of  the  higher  Alle- 
ghanies,  but  I  have  never  yet  seen  it  there.  It  winters  in  our  limits. 

Records  in  Pa. —  Clinton  Co. — I  examined  a  mounted  specimen  in  1896, 
taken  near  Renovo,  in  the  collection  of  A.  K.  Peirce,  shot  in  spring  of  1891. 
— Rhoads. 

Delaware  Co. — A  specimen  in  my  collection  was  shot  near  Collingdale, 
several  years  ago  during  a  February  thaw,  actively  flying  about  the  borders  of 
a  wood  in  pursuit  of  insects  in  full  daylight,  cloudy  sky.  It  was  taken  by 
Chas.  Voelker,  now  of  Aldan,  same  county. — Rhoads. 

Philadelphia  Co. — The  type  of  cinereus,  described  from  a  specimen  or  spe- 
cimens in  Peale's  Museum  by  Beauvois,  was  probably  taken  in  this  county. 
Beauvois  says:  "This  is  found  in  Pennsylvania."  "A  specimen  captured 
near  Philadelphia,  was  presented  to  the  Philadelphia  Museum  by  the  late 
Professor  Barton." — Godman,  Nat.  Hist.,  1826,  vol.  i,  p.  69. 

Records  in  N.J. — The  only  record  for  N.  J.  known  to  me  is  that  given  by 
Cooper  in  the  Annals  of  the  New  York  Lyceum  (1837),  1848,  vol.  4,  p.  56, 
who  says  that  the  specimen  from  which  his  description  of  the  Hoary  Bat  was 
taken  "was  shot  by  Mr.  J.  F.  Ward  in  the  month  of  November  near  the 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND   NEW   JERSEY.  215 

heights  of  Weehawken  [Huds.  Co.],  in  New  Jersey,  near  this  city  [New  York] 
in  broad  daylight.  It  was  hovering  and  fluttering  about  the  precipice  in  the 
manner  of  other  bats,  and  occasionally  darting  towards  the  low  grounds, 
more  like  a  bird.  I  have  witnessed  at  the  same  locality  the  similar  evolu- 
tions of  a  bat,  probably  of  this  species,  that  was  flying  about  early  one  fine 
afternoon,  though  it  kept  below  the  shadow  of  the  rocks." 

Habits,  etc. — Merriam  states  that  this  bat  can  be  easily  recognized  while 
awing  by  its  great  size,  long,  pointed  wings  and  swift,  irregular  flight.  It 
covers  a  great  extent  of  country  in  its  forays  after  food.  It  did  not  appear 
in  the  Adirondacks  on  very  hot  summer  evenings,  waiting  for  the  temperature 
to  fall  to  a  point  below  60°.  If  it  was  55°  to  58°  soon  after  sunset  it  would 
come  out  early.  Its  geographic  distribution  extends  farther  into  the  Arctic 
confines  than  that  of  any  other  species  of  bat.  Its  breeding  habits  are  not 
understood.  A  specimen  with  four  recently  nursed  teats  was  taken  on  the 
30th  of  June.  They  act  as  if  rutting  in  early  August  in  the  Adirondacks. 
The  only  young  he  ever  saw  was  shot  in  early  August,  nearly  full  grown. 
This  would  indicate  birth  in  May  or  June. 

Description  of  species. — See  under  preceding  species,  A.  borealis. 

Genus  Nycticeius  Rafinesque,  Journal  de  Physique,  1819,  vol.  88,  p.  417. 

Rafinesque's  Little  Brown  Bat.     Nycticeius  humeralis  (Rafinesque). 

1818.  Vesper tilio  humeralis  Rafinesque,  American  Monthly  Magazine,  vol. 

.3,  P-  445- 

1819.  N.^ycticeius'}  humeralis  Rafinesque,  Journal  de  Physique,  vol.  88, 
p.  417. 

Type  locality. — Kentucky. 

Fauna!  distribution. — "  Austral  zones  in  eastern  United  States ;  west  to 
Arkansas  and  southern  Texas." — Miller. 

Distribution  in  Pa.  and  N.  J. — The  only  records  of  this  bat  in  our  limits 
that  are  known  to  me  are  the  twelve  specimens  examined  by  G.  S.  Miller,  Jr., 
in  his  "  Revision "  as  coming  from  Carlisle,  Pa.  They  are,  I  presume,  in 
the  National  Museum,  and  were  probably  collected  many  years  ago  in  a  cave 
near  Carlisle  by  Prof.  Baird.  It  is  strange  that  among  the  hundreds  of  bats 
which  have  been  more  recently  collected  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.,  none  of  this 
genus  should  have  been  taken,  as  the  majority  of  our  specimens  have  been 
secured  in  localities  more  austral  than  Carlisle.  It  must  be  an  extremely 
rare  species,  if  not  absent,  in  the  Delaware  Valley.  The  Susquehanna  Valley, 
connecting  more  directly  by  way  of  the  Chesapeake,  in  a  faunal  sense,  with 
their  chosen  haunts  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  seems  to  be  the  most  northern 
record  of  their  wanderings. 


2l6  MAMMALS    OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Habits,  etc. — I  know  of  no  reference  to  the  habits  of  this  bat,  nor  have  I 
ever  seen  it  alive  to  distinguish  it  from  other  species  of  small  brown  bats 
found  in  the  same  regions. 

Description  of  species. — In  color  and  size  not  certainly  distinguishable  from 
Myotis,  but  easily  separated  by  a  look  at  the  upper  front  teeth,  or  incisors.. 
In  Rafinesque's  brown  bat  there  is  only  i  on  each  side,  separated  by  a  space 
from  the  large  pointed  fang  or  canine  tooth.  In  the  little  brown  (Afyotis) 
bats  these  incisor  teeth  number  2  on  each  side,  or  4  in  all.  The  color  of 
humerahs  is  "dull  umber  brown  above,  paler  below,  the  fur  everywhere 
plumbeous  at  extreme  base,  but  the  dark,  basal  color  less  well  defined  than  in 
other  species  with  which  Nycticcius  is  found  associated." — Miller.  The  teeth 
are  distributed  as  follows  :  incisors,  *-J  ;  canines,  —^  ;  premolars,  -*~*  ;  molars, 

g-H-Jo. 

Measurements. — Total  length,  90  (3^)  ;  tail  vertebrae,  36  (i-jV)  >  forearm,. 

36 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NLW  JERSEY.  21  7 

LIST  OF  FERAL  (WILD)  EXOTIC  (IMPORTED)  SPECIES  FOUND  IN  PA.  AND  N.  J. 

Swine,  "  Razor  Back."    Sus  scrofa  Linnaeus. 
Sheep.     Ovis  aries  Linnaeus. 
Cattle  ;  Kine.     Bos  taurus  Linnaeus. 
Horse.     Equus  caballus  Linnaeus. 

The  above  4  species  of  domestic  animals,  brought  over  by  the  early 
colonists  to  N.  J.,  in  many  places  were  left  to  shift  for  themselves,  and  soon 
became  quite  as  wild  as  the  native  deer  with  which  they  associated.  In 
some  instances  they  were  liberated  on  the  large  maritime  beaches  or  islands 
on  the  southeast  coast  of  N.  J.,  which  formed  natural  confines  for  them 
throughout  the  year.  On  these  they  were  hunted,  slaughtered  or  captured 
alive  as  animals  gone  wild.  The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  "  Plains "  of 
Burlington  Co.,  N.  J.,  where  pig  and  cattle  hunts  were  once  a  periodical 
cause  of  sport  and  excitement,  and  even  in  the  last  20  years  live  stock  has 
been  rounded  up  and  shot  in  the  "Plains"  as  the  only  means  of  securing  it. 
Owing  to  the  degeneration  of  stock  thus  running  wild  in  early  days,  as  also 
on  account  of  trespass,  the  early  colonists  framed  many  laws  regulating  these 
abuses.  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Francis  B.  Lee,  of  Trenton,  for  the  following 
researches  along  this  line  : 

"  There  is  one  phase  of  animal  life  in  Colonial  West  Jersey  which,  whilst 
not  strictly  relating  to  the  native  forest  beasts,  forms  an  interesting  phase  in 
the  history  of  state  faunas.  The  island  beaches  which  stud  the  coast  from 
Cape  May  to  Barnegat  were  from  early  days  pasturage  grounds  for  domesti- 
cated animals  ;  which  being  neglected  by  thejr  owners,  in  time  became  actually 
fercK  natures.  Such  were  the  wild  cattle  of  Avalon,  Cape  May  county,  on  the 
beach  variously  known  as  Learning's,  Tatem's  and  Seven  Mile,  or  upon  the 
strand  known  as  Ludlam's  Beach.  The  owners  of  these  beaches,  branding 
their  cattle  and  sheep  by  "  ear-marks,"  placed  the  animals  thereupon  and 
their  neglected  descendants  have  only  within  the  past  decade  been  extermi- 
nated, as  have  been  the  buffaloes. 

Aaron  Learning  2nd.  of  Cape  May,  in  a  manuscript  record  of  1771  thus 
alluded  to  the  question  of  cattle  grazing :  The  animals  were  turned  on  the 
beach  from  the  "  shore "  "  about  the  middle  of  October,  and  brought  off 
about  the  middle  or  last  of  June,  and  live  without  hay  or  any  care  taken  of 
them,  and  when  they  are  not  disturbed  by  gunners  or  other  trespassers,  do 
very  well." 

The  great  woodlands  lying  to  the  eastward  of  the  Delaware  river  settle- 


21 8  MAMMALS  OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

ments,  such  as  Burlington  and  Salem,  offered  opportunities  for  stock  raising. 
West  Jersey  early  experienced  conflicting  rights  to  herbage  and  to  animals, 
and  commonage  was  claimed  by  the  original  emigrants,  and  indeed  for  sev- 
eral generations  thereafter  all  domesticated  animals  were  allowed  to  run  at 
large,  and  so  great  did  the  nuisance  become  that  the  Assembly  as  early  as 
1683  was  compelled  to  restrain  the  running  at  large  of  hogs  not  only  as  a 
protection  to  marshes  and  meadows,  but  to  prevent  the  establishment  of  a 
custom  which  would  lead  to  domesticated  animals  reverting  to  their  wild 
state.  The  act  of  1683  was  found  insufficient,  as  the  hogs  were  thereafter 
allowed  to  "  damnify  and  greatly  injure  ye  meadows,"  English  grass,  fences 
and  the  like.  To  restrain  which  practice  the  Legislature  in  1695  passed  a 
"  local  option  "  hog  act,  relegating  the  entire  matter  to  local  supervision.  In 
this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  owners  of  "  stone  horses  "  or 
stallions  were  restrained  by  the  act  of  1683  from  allowing  their  animals  to 
range  in  the  woods.  To  come  within  the  act,  the  beast  had  to  be  three 
years  old  and  under  fourteen  hands  in  height.  The  penalty  for  violation  of 
this  law  was  ^5.  In  1730  an  act  was  passed  to  restrain  small  stallions  from 
running  at  large  between  March  and  October,  inasmuch  as  these  animals 
were  "  very  hurtful  to  the  Breed  of  Horses  in  His  Majesty's  Province  of  New 
Jersey"  In  1751  one  of  the  last  acts  of  the  Colonial  legislature  was  that 
preventing  rams  from  running  at  large  from  August  20  to  December  20,  and 
bears  many  points  in  common  with  the  act  to  restrain  young  stallions.  The 
act  is  dated  December  6,  1775. 

House  Mouse.     Mus  musculus  Linnaeus. 
Norway  or  Barn  Rat.     Mus  norvegicus  Erxleben. 
Black  Rat.     Mus  rattus  Linnaeus. 

The  first  two  of  these  European  immigrants  to  America  need  no  comment, 
for  they  now  abound  throughout  our  continent,  Pa.  and  N.  J.  being  no  excep- 
tion to  this  rule.  The  black  or  blue  rat,  however,  once  common,  and  the 
first  to  appear  on  our  shores  with  the  earliest  colonists,  is  said  by  many  to  be 
exterminated  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  Miller  reports  it  as  found  in  central 
Massachusetts  but  knows  of  no  other  place  in  the  northeastern  states  where 
it  is  numerous.  By  careful  inquiry  I  find  it  is  quite  numerous  locally  in  parts 
of  northern  Pa.  Some  of  these  reports  are  herewith  given. 

Pa. — Bradford  Co. — "  Plentiful  on  farms  away  from  railroad  lines  in  Brad- 
ford Co." — Cleveland,  1900. 

Cambria  Co. — "Numerous  in  1899  on  farm  of  Jacob  Kauffmann  7  miles 
from  Johnstown.  I  killed  6  with  a  pocket  rifle.  They  are  also  found  on 
Henry  Otts'  farm,  15  miles  south  of  Johnstown." — Shields,  1900. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW    JERSEY.  21$ 

Elk  Co. — "  Many  in  some  parts  of  this  Co.  They  travel  to  and  fro." — 
Luhr,  1900. 

Forest  Co. — Not  totally  exterminated. — Irwin,  1900. 

Lackawanna  Co.—^Ar.  Friant  recently  showed  me  specimens  taken  in 
Scranton  and  vicinity  where  it  seems  not  to  be  rare. — Rhoads.  1902. 

Luzerne  Co. — "I  saw  one  Oct.,  1899,  along  the  busquehanna  near  Pitts- 
ton." — Campbell,  1900. 

McKean  Co. — "  We  have  a  number  of  specimens  taken  at  Kane  by  A.  K. 
Pierce." — Todd,  1902.  "All  through  the  rural  districts  in  McKean  Co.  the 
black  rat  is  about  as  common  as  the  gray  rat.  Do  not  think  I  mean  'gray' 
when  I  say  '  black,'  for  the  two  kinds  are  as  easily  distinguished  as  the  black 
and  gray  squirrels." — C.  W.  Dickinson,  1901. 

Monroe  and  Pike  Cos. — I  found  this  rat  was  predominant  in  the  barns  and 
houses  of  the  backwoods  in  1896,  during  my  travels  in  the  Pocono  regions. — 
Rhoads,  1902. 

Somerset  Co. — The  "  blue  rat "  or  black  rat  is  said  by  farmers  to  abound 
in  the  parts  of  Somerset  Co.  remote  from  railroads.— Moore,  1901. 

Sullivan  Co. — "  The  black  or  '  blue '  rat  is  still  here,  but  not  plenty." — 
Bennett,  1902.  "I  have  seen  none  near  Lopez  for  about  12  years." — Behr, 
1901. 

Tioga  Co. — "  Not  exterminated,  but  rarely  seen." — Cleveland,  1900. 

Washington  Co. — "  I  am  42  years  old,  yet  never  saw  one  in  this  Co.  They 
were  plenty  55  years  ago." — Nease,  1900. 

Wayne  Co. — "  I  caught  nearly  100  in  my  store  and  barn  at  Maplewood  in 
1898." — Stevens,  1900.  Mr.  Stevens  gives  as  his  experience  that  this  rat  is 
now  (1897)  confined  to  Lackawanna,  Wayne,  Pike  and  Monroe  counties, 
being  numerous  around  Maplewood,  the  Norway  rat  being  th^re  very  rare. 
They  are  stated  to  migrate  continually  in  colonies  from  place  to  place  and  to 
be  very  destructive  in  farm  buildings. — Rhoads.  Abundant  in  Wayne  Co. — 
Goodnough,  1900.  Scarce  in  Wayne  Co — Teeple,  1900. 

Westmoreland  Co. — The  only  rat  I  saw  at  Laughlintown  during  2  weeks 
collecting  there  in  1898,  was  a  young  black  rat,  now  in  the  Carnegie  Museum 
collection. — Rhoads. 

Wyoming  Co. — "  None  seen  or  heard  of  near  Forkston  in  40  years." — 
Robinson,  1900. 

From  the  above  accounts,  it  may  be  judged  that  a  balance  of  power  locally 
favoring  the  black  rat  as  against  the  predominating  gray  species  of  the  low- 
lands, is  permanently  established  in  the  upper  transition  and  Canadian  life 
zones  of  Pennsylvania.  I  have  no  recent  authoritative  records  for  New  Jer- 
sey, but  as  my  inquiries  in  the  northern  parts  of  that  state  are  deficient  in 
thoroughness,  I  venture  to  predict  that  the  black  rat  also  holds  its  own  in 
similarly  favored  localities  in  the  northern  section  of  the  state. — Rhoads,  1902. 


22O  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

European  or  "  Belgian  "  Hare.    Lepus  europaus  Pallas. 

This  animal,  escaped  from  domestication,  has  now  become  scattered  over 
many  localities  in  the  northern  half  of  New  Jersey,  especially  in  the  parts 
radiating  from  Columbus,  where  it  first  spread  from  the  estate  of  Pierre  Loril- 
lard,  according  to  common  report.  It  is  now  found  sparingly  in  the  wild 
parts  of  Camden  and  Burlington  Cos.,  N.  J.,  and  is  regularly  hunted  in  Bucks 
Co.,  Pa.,  during  the  game  season.  It  is  the  species  coursed  in  England  by  grey- 
hounds and  resembles  in  size  and  actions  our  American  Jack  Rabbits,  but  has 
less  extraordinary  ears  and  relatively  shorter  limbs.  It  does  not  multiply 
rapidly,  as  the  European  or  English  rabbit,  Lepus  cuniculus,  so  that  its  in- 
crease in  our  limits  may  not  be  looked  on  as  a  serious  economic  problem. 

Domestic  Cat.     Felts  domesticus  Linnaeus. 

In  some  districts  this  domestic  animal  "  takes  to  the  woods  "  and  reverts 
to  its  feral  condition.  It  is  shot  and  trapped  under  these  circumstances  by 
hunters,  and  often  gives  rise  to  fabulous  stories  of  its  nature,  size  and 
rapacity. 

Domestic  and  Indian  Dog.     Cants  familiaris  Linnaeus. 

The  remarks  above  made  regarding  cats  apply  even  more  fully  to  the  dog. 
These  wild  and  often  wolfish-looking  dogs  give  rise  and  color  to  many  a  fake 
wolf  story  in  these  days,  as  they  always  have  in  the  past. 

Regarding  the  dog  of  the  Pa.  and  N.  J.  Indians,  found  by  the  earliest  dis- 
coverers of  America,  there  has  been  much  written,  after  it  was  too  late  to 
determine  its  relationships  with  the  wolves  and  dogs-  of  the  rest  of  the  world 
by  an  examination  of  specimens.  But  owing  to  its  apparently  hybrid  char- 
acters such  examination  would  likely  prove  unavailing  in  the  main  question 
whether  the  Indian  dog  was  a  dog  at  all,  and  if  so,  whence  derived.  I  will 
leave  this  question  by  quoting  from  B.  S.  Barton's  remarks  in  the  "  Medical 
and  Physical  Journal,"  vol.  i,  part  2,  1805,  pp.  i  to  31,  on  "  Native  Amer- 
ican and  Indian  Dogs."  After  stating  (i)  That  the  Indian  dogs  undoubtedly 
existed  in  Pa.  before  the  Swedes  first  planted  their  colony  there,  and  (2)  that 
they  had  pointed,  upright  (fide  Kalm  ears  like  those  of  Sweden,  Barton  con- 
cludes they  must  be  a  cross  between  the  wolf  and  fox  or  wolf  and  some  other 
species  of  dog.  He  says  (p.  14),  "This  species  [Indian  dog]  or  breed  is 
still  [1805]  preserved  in  the  greatest  purity  among  the  Six  Nations,  from 
whom  the  Delawares  acknowledge  that  they  received  it.  The  Delawares  call 
this  dog  Lenchum  or  Lenni-Chum  which  signifies  '  the  original  beast.'  " 

Dr.  Daniel  G.  Brinton  in  his  "  Lenape  and  their  Legends,"  says  the  only 
domesticated  animal  known  to  the  New  Jersey  aborigines  was  a  small  species 
of  dog  with  pointed  ears,  which  animal  was  called  allum.  These  were  not 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  221 

only  used  for  protection  and  hunting,  but  likewise  for  food  and  especially  for 
cermonial  purposes. 

European  Red  Fox.     Vulpes  vulpes  (Linnaeus). 

For  discussion  of  the  status  of  the  American  red  fox  as  affected  by  the 
colonial  importation  of  the  European  species  into  our  limits,  when  there  were 
said  to  be  no  red  foxes  known  in  eastern  Pa.  and  N.  J.,  see  article  on  Vulpes 
fulvus  under  our  native  species  previously  considered. 

INTRODUCED  NORTH  AMERICAN  SPECIES,  PERMANENT  AND  FERAL 
IN  PA.  OR  N.  J. 

Franklin's    Spermophile ;    Gray   Gopher   or    Ground   Squirrel. 

Cite  Ileus  franklini  (Sabine). 

1822.  Arcto my s  franklini  Sabine,  Transactions  Linnaean  Society,  vol.  13, 

P-  587- 

Type  locality. — Vicinity  of  Cumberland  House,  Saskatchewan,  Canada. 

Faunal  distribution. — Upper  austral,  transition,  Canadian  and  Hudsonian 
zones  of  the  Great  Plains ;  Illinois  and  Lake  Winnipeg  to  Kansas  and  Alberta  : 
north  to  Great  SlaveiLake.  Introduced  in  southern  N.  J. 

Distribution  in  N.  J. — Southern  Burlington  and  Ocean  Counties  ;  said  at 
one  time  to  have  spread  from  Tuckerton,  their  original  breeding  ground,  to 
Tabernacle,  Red  Lion  and  Chatsworth  in  Burlington  Co.  Now  fortuitously 
reported  from  parts  of  the  same  region,  but  less  abundant  than  when  first  on 
the  increase  as  reported  by  Allen  and  Bishop  in  1877. 

Habits,  history,  etc. — The  accidental  introduction  and  colonization  of  this 
squirrel  in  a  region  wholly  remote,  and  differing  greatly  in  its  faunal  charac- 
ters from  the  habitat  of  any  member  of  its  peculiar  genus,  is  a  remarkable 
circumstance.  It  serves  as  a  suggestive  illustration  of  the  complex  problems 
which  involve  the  study  of  the  geographic  distribution  of  animals,  especially 
where  migratory,  cosmopolitan  and  meddlesome  man  has  entered  promi- 
nently into  the  local  struggle  for  existence.  The  first  publication  of  note 
regarding  this  occurrence  is  found  in  Cones'  and  Allen's  Monograph  of  the 
N.  American  Rodentia,  1877,  pp.  883,  884,  as  follows  : 

"This  species  also  occurs  in  New  Jersey,  where  it  is  rapidly  increasing  in 
numbers.  I  learned  of  its  introduction  there  through  Mr.  Samuel  Jillson,  who 
first  wrote  me  about  it  some  three  or  four  years  since.  Writing  him  recently 
about  it  for  further  information  respecting  the  date  and  manner  of  its  intro- 
duction, as  well  as  for  information  respecting  its  present  numbers  and  the 
area  of  its  range,  he  has  kindly  replied  as  follows,  under  date  of '  Tuckerton, 
New  Jersey,  May  6,  1877 ' :  '  The  date  of  its  introduction  is  May,  1867,  when 


222  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

a  single  pair  was  brought  here  by  Mr.  Sylvester  Mathis  from  Illinois.  This 
pair  soon  gnawed  out  of  their  cage  and  escaped.  This  was  in  the  village  of 
Tuckerton.  They  are  now  found  in  Manahawken,  nine  miles  north  of  Tuck- 
erton,  and  also  four  miles  south  of  Tuckerton  and  very  likely  farther.  They 
are  very  common  on  all  the  farms  about  here,  three  miles  from  the  village  [of 
Tuckerton J.  They  seem  to  always  keep  in  the  fields,  as  I  have  never  seen 
them  in  the  woods.  I  find  very  little  dirt  at  the  mouth  of  their  burrows, 
sometimes  none.  From  one  to  two  buckets  of  water  poured  into  their  holes 
will  bring  them  out.  We  kill  all  we  can  on  our  farm.  They  destroy  young 
chickens  and  turkeys,  and  the  dogs  dig  large  holes  in  our  fields  trying  to  get 
at  the  Gophers.  I  once  found  one  in  a  salt  hay  stack  in  spring,  dead,  coiled 
up  in  the  smallest  ball  possible.  I  also  found  one  dead  in  my  barn  well.  I 
think  many  of  them  winter  in  stacks  and  under  outbuildings,  for  I  never  could 
drown  out  any  late  m  the  fall,  in  the  flat  fields.  They  are  never  seen  here  in 
winter,  and  no  doubt  are  then  dormant.'  " 

Dr.  Allen  mentions  another  article  on  this  subject,  published  by  N.  H. 
Bishop,  in  "Forest  and  Stream,"  Jan.  4,  1877,  which  covers  the  same  ground 
and  conjectures  "whether  the  changed  conditions  will  ultimately  modify 
materially  its  habits  and  structure."  To  determine  this  and  discover  its  dis- 
tribution and  abundance,  I  made  a  trip  to  Tuckerton  in  1893,  visiting  the 
Messrs.  Jillson  and  others  in  the  surrounding  country.  This  was  during  the 
fall  season  and  the  animals  were  hibernating.  I  secured  no  specimens  except 
one  mounted  several  years  before  by  Mr.  Jillson.  Three  or  four  burrows 
known  to  have  been  inhabited  were  visited  without  securing  any.  It  was  the 
general  opinion  that  they  were  much  diminished,  though  still  present  around 
Tuckerton.  I  found  the  skull  of  one  lying  near  some  salt  hay  ricks  on  the 
edge  of  the  salt  marsh.  Since  that  date  I  have  frequently  endeavored,  by  the 
offer  of  50  cents  or  even  $i  each,  to  secure  specimens  without  success.  This 
indicates  their  scarcity  and  the  difficulty  of  catching  them,  which  the  natives 
complain  about. 

Mr.  G.  H.  Van  Note,  of  Barnegat,  wrote  me,  in  1899  :  "  I  think  a  few  are 
left."  Mr.  T.  P.  Price,  of  Tuckerton,  writes,  under  date  of  Dec.,  1900  :  "  I 
have  twice  seen  them  within  the  past  year  and  Joseph  Webb  (barber)  told 
me  he  saw  one  last  '  dove  season.' "  Mr.  James  A.  G.  Rehn,  of  Philadelphia, 
tells  me  that  in  a  recent  zoological  trip  through  the  "  Plains  "  of  south  central 
Burlington  Co.  he  had  conversation  with  a  Mr.  Wills,  of  Speedwell,  regarding 
animals  of  that  region.  Wills  told  him  of  a  squirrel,  evidently  of  this  species, 
which  within  a  year  or  two  had  damaged  cornfields  near  Eagle,  i  mile  west 
of  Speedwell,  undermining  the  hills  of  corn.  He  had  in  former  years  cap- 
tured them  in  cornfields  near  Speedwell. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Description  of  species. — The  color  of  typical  Spermophilus  franklini  is 
stated  by  Allen  to  be  yellowish-brown  above,  varied  with  black,  the  black 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  223 

formed  in  small  squarish  spots  ;  eyelids  white  ;  lower  head,  neck,  thighs  and 
rump  pure  gray,  whiter  on  belly.  Tail  grayish  with  blackish  border  tipped 
with  white ;  vertebrae  about  ^  length  of  head  and  body ;  hairs  long,  giving 
a  bushy  appearance  as  in  a  shortened  red  squirrel's  tail.  Body  fur  harsh  and 
stiff.  Ears  small  and  short.* 

Measurements. — Total  length,  15  inches;  tail  vertebras  5^  in.;  hind  foot, 


Canadian  Beaver.      Castor  canadensis  Kuhl. 

The  instances  of  wild  beavers  in  Pa.  and  N.  J.,  which  are  the  existing  de- 
scendants of  animals  escaped  from  private  parks  and  game  preserves  and 
imported  from  other  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  are  given  in  the 
preceding  article  on  this  species. 

Eastern  Prairie  Cottontail ;  Rabbit.  Lepus  floridanus  mearnsi 
(Allen). 

It  is  probable,  as  implied  by  Miller  and  Bangs  (see  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  N. 
History,  1895,  p.  410),  that  this  species  has  entered  its  present  habitat  in  the 
mountainous  parts  of  Pa.  and  N.  York  since  the  transformation  of  the  faunal 
conditions  of  those  states  by  deforesting.  If  this  be  true,  there  is  a  probabil- 
ity that  this  race  was  not  found  in  Pa.  in  aboriginal  times,  unless  there  always 
was  a  strip  of  normally  open  country  on  the  southern  shores  of  Lake  Erie. 
See  previous  remarks  under  this  species. 

?  Western  Timber  Wolf.      Cam's  mexicanus  Linn,  (subsp.  ?) 

It  is  a  fair  and  open  question  whether  the  "  native  wolves,"  which  are  stated 
to  yet  linger  in  the  wilds  of  western  Pa.,  even  if  eventually  proved  to  exist 
there,  are  not  from  stock  escaped  from  shows  or  other  forms  of  captivity  or 
purposely  imported  and  released  in  the  days  of  the  scalp  acts  of  1885,  etc. 
On  this  account  I  have  placed  the  species  in  this  supplemental  list. 

LIST  OF  SPECIES  OF  DOUBTFUL  OCCURRENCE  IN  PA.  AND  N.  J. 
Black  Killer ;  Square-Nosed  Grampus.  Pseudorca  crassidens  (Owen). 

Being  found  on  the  coasts  of  Tasmania,  Peru,  Denmark  and  (?)  Davis 
Strait,  this  rare  species  is  considered  as  "  pelagic  "  in  its  range.  No  record 

*  Since  the  above  writing,  Mr.  A.  H.  Jillson  has  sent  me  two  fresh  skins  of  this  spermo- 
phile,  both  adult  females,  stating,  "They  were  killed  on  Oct.  10,  1902,  at  Tuckerton,  N.  J., 
by  a  boy."  His  measurements  of  total  length  were  14%  in.  and  16%  in.  Mr.  Bangs  com- 
pared them  with  western  skins  for  me  and  says  they  match  exactly  specimens  from  Minne- 
sota and  are  paler  than  Dakota  skins. 


224  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

nearer  to  our  limits  than  those  above  given  has  been  made  to  my  knowledge. 
Owing  to  the  infrequency  of  capture  of  these  savage  and  inaccessible  tyrants 
of  the  sea,  it  is  quite  possible  that  the  black  killer  has  been  frequently  mis- 
taken, while  in  its  native  element,  for  the  common  white-bellied  species, 
Oricinus  area.  It  is  likely  to  be  found  off  the  N.  J.  coast,  and  may  be  known 
by  its  peculiar  square-nosed,  lizard-like  head.  It  is  about  the  same  size  as 
the  common  killer.  The  roots  of  the  teeth  are  round  and  the  dorsal  fin 
rather  low  and  slender  pointed. 

Skunk  Porpoise;  Striped  Dolphin.     Lagenorhynchus  acutus  (Gray). 

It  is  possible  that  some  of  the  dolphins  which  Godman  so  graphically  de- 
scribes as  being  observed  by  him  in  the  "  waters  "  off  Sandy  Hook  were  of 
this  species.  This  is  emphasized  by  his  figure  of  D.  dephis,  whose  color  pat- 
tern and  shape  of  body  and  fins,  without  head,  fit  the  skunk  porpoise  very 
well.  The  head  is  that  of  the  "  true  dolphin,"  however,  and  so  is  his  descrip- 
tion. The  abundance  of  the  dolphins  observed  by  him  off  Sandy  Hook  and 
the  close  resemblance  between  Z.  acutus  and  D.  delphis  conjointly  indicate  a 
state  of  affairs  not  now  existing  as  to  the  distribution  and  abundance  of  these 
species. 

Z.  acutus  has  been  taken  off  the  southeastern  coast  of  Massachusetts  in 
considerable  numbers.  It  is,  without  reasonable  doubt,  at  least  a  straggler 
to  the  waters  of  northern  N.  J.,  as  are  some  other  marine  species  of  similar 
range  and  habits.  The  Lagenorhynchus  is  immediately  known  from  Delphinus 
by  its  very  short,  broad  beak.  In  other  respects  it  resembles  the  latter, 
being  a  foot  or  two  longer.  The  number  of  teeth  in  Z.  acutus  is  22  to  45,  in 
Z>.  delphis  47  to  65. 

Eastern  Moose.     Alces  americanus  Jardine. 

The  fossil  remains  of  moose  have  been  found  in  Pa.  caves  (see  under  fossil 
list).  Certain  statements  of  earliest  travelers  to  America  imply  that  the 
moose  was  found  on  the  west  shores  of  Hudson  River  opposite  New  York 
and  in  northeastern  Pa.  There  is  a  Moosic  in  Lackawanna  Co.,  a  Moose- 
head  in  Luzerne  Co.,  and  Chinklaca-moose,  the  Indian  Village  (now  Clear- 
field),  in  Clearfield  Co.  In  Doughty's  Cabinet  of  Natural  History,  vol.  i, 
p.  281,  a  Philadelphia  correspondent  says  that  the  horns  of  moose  were 
found  in  a  salt  lick  in  the  Alleghany  mountains,  Pa.,  near  the  New  York  state 
line.  These  items  are  here  noted  in  support  of  the  theory  that  the  moose  in 
late  pre-Columbian  times  wandered  into  the  Alleghany  mountains  of  Pa. 
from  its  more  favored  haunts  in  the  lake  regions  of  New  York.  Miller  states 
it  "  once  ranged  throughout  the  state  "  of  New  York.  If  this  can  be  verified 
by  history  it  would  be  an  interesting  fact,  at  once  removing  any  improba- 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA  AND   NEW   JERSEY.  225 

bility  of  its  range  in  parts  of  northern  Pennsylvania  quite  as  well  suited  to  its 
needs. 

Western  FOX  Squirrel.     Scuirus  rufiventer  E.  Geoffrey. 

The  fox  squirrel  of  the  southwestern  corner  of  Pa.,  once  numerous,  now 
about  extinct,  probably  was  an  intergrade,  nearer  typical  rufiventer  than 
S.  I.  neglectus,  the  coast  form.  It  is  much  more  rusty  than  eastern  Pa.  speci- 
mens, if  this  conjecture  prove  correct.* 

Canadian  Flying  Squirrel.     Scuiropterus  sabrinus  macrotis  Mearns. 

This  southern  race  of  the  large  northern  flying  squirrel  is  found  in  the 
Catskill  mountains,  and  may  eventually  be  taken  in  the  colder  forests  of  the 
northern  Pa.  Alleghanies.  It  is  distinguished  from  the  common  flying 
squirrel  of  the  south  by  its  size,  being  n  inches  long,  2  inches  longer  than 
volans.  Its  upper  color  is  similar  to  volans,  but  the  under  parts  are  not  pure 
white,  as  in  that  species,  but  a  dirty  white,  with  the  hairs  dark  at  base.  I 
am  making  strenuous  efforts  to  secure  this  species  in  Sullivan  Co.  through 
Mr.  Otto  Behr. 

Golden  Deer  Mouse.     Peromyscus  nuttalli  (Harlan). 

This  beautiful  and  striking  species,  so  easily  identified  by  its  uniform 
golden  or  fulvous  brown  color,  paler  beneath,  has  been  recorded  from  Penn- 
sylvania by  Prof.  Baird  in  Mammals  of  N.  America,  p.  468.  One  of  the 
specimens  was  a  skull  from  Carlisle.  Owing  to  the  similarity  of  the  skull  of 
this  species  to  that  of  leucopus  this  record  cannot  be  relied  upon.  Another 
specimen,  skin  and  skull,  said  by  Coues  to  have  the  appearance  of  a  leucopus 
skinned  out  of  alcohol,  was  recorded  by  Baird  from  Falls  of  Schuylkill,  Pa. 
I  am  unwilling  to  admit  P.  nuttalli  to  our  fauna  on  this  evidence.  At  the 
same  time  the  species  may  eventually  be  taken  as  a  straggler  in  southern 
York,  Adams,  Franklin  or  Lancaster  Cos.,  as  it  ranges  quite  high  in  the 
southern  Alleghanies,  as  far  as  West  Virginia  or  perhaps  Maryland. 

Virginia  Harvest  Mouse.     Reithrodontomys  leconti  impiger  Bangs. 

The  same  remarks  as  to  possible  occurrence  in  Pa.,  just  given  under  the 
golden  deer  mouse,  will  almost  equally  apply  to  this  tiny  little  dweller  of  the 
fields  and  brush  lands  of  the  lower  austral  zone.  It  has  been  found  in  the 

*  Since  this  writing  Mr.  Todd  has  kindly  sent  me  a  specimen  of  Fox  squirrel  taken  near 
Industry,  Beaver  Co.,  which,  in  comparison  with  eastern  Pa.  skins,  does  not  indicate  any 
approach  to  the  western  race;  in  fact  it  is  lighter  than  one  Adams  Co.  specimen.  It  is  a 
female,  and  was  collected  Oct.  16,  1902.  Its  measurements  are  555-257-70. 


ez6  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

vicinity  of  Washington,  D.  C.  Being  more  of  a  lowland  dweller,  it  may  only 
be  sought  for  in  the  lower  Susquehanna  valley.  The  Delaware  Bay  and  Val- 
ley form  a  natural  barrier  to  its  dispersion  in  southern  N.  J.,  whose  faunal 
conditions  would  be  more  favorable  to  its  peculiar  needs  than  anywhere  in 
Pa. 

Batchelder's  Shrew.     Sorex  macrurus  Batchelder. 
Hoy's  Shrew.     Sorex  hoyi  Baird. 

Lesueur's  Shrew.     Sorex  personatus  Usueuri  (Duvernoy). 
Fisher's. Shrew.     Sorex  longirostris fisheri  (Merriam). 

Of  these,  macrurus  and  hoyi  may  be  looked  for  in  north  Pa.,  lesueuri  in 
west  Pa.,  and  fisheri  in  southern  N.  J.  They  can  only  be  distinguished  by 
critical  and  expert  examination  of  the  teeth.  Hoy's  shrew,  however,  is  strik- 
ingly grayer  than  any  other  in  Pa.,  and  Batchelder's  has  a  very  long,  thick  tail 
as  compared  with  the  rest.  They  are  all  as  small  as  or  smaller  than  personatus, 
a  description  of  which  has  been  already  given. 

Big-eared  Bat.     Corynorhinus  macrotis  (Leconte). 

The  only  allusions  to  the  occurrence  of  this  southern  bat  in  our  limits  are  as 
follows  :  "  I  am  informed  by  Prof.  Baird  that  specimens  of  a  Synous,  proba- 
bly of  this  species,  were  received  some  years  ago  by  the  Smithsonian  Institu- 
tion from  Meadville,  Pa.,  but  that  they  have  become  in  some  way  misplaced 
and  are  not  now  to  be  found." — H.  Allen,  Monog.  Bats,  N.  Amer.,  1864, 
p.  64. 

"  On  the  authority  of  Prof.  Baird  it  has  been  obtained  at  Meadville,  in 
northwestern  Pennsylvania.  At  my  request,  Prof.  J.  H.  Montgomery,  of  Alle- 
ghany  College,  Meadville,  recently  collected  a  number  of  bats  trom  this 
neighborhood,  but  has  not  succeeded  in  procuring  Corynorhinus" — H. 
Allen,  Monog.  Bats  N.  Amer.,  1893,  p.  57. 

While  it  is  not  impossible  that  a  flying  animal,  normally  found  as  far  north 
as  the  Carolinas,  might  be  driven  by  storm  so  far  from  its  habitat,  this  record 
is  open  to  doubt.  Much  less  does  it  indicate  the  probability  of  its  recur- 
rence in  our  southern  limits. 


FOSSIL  MAMMALS  OF  PENNSYLVANIA  AND  NEW  JERSEY. 


Order  CHIROPTERA ;  Bats. 
Family  VESPERTILIONID^E  ;  Typical  Bats. 
My  Otis  subulatus  (Say).    Say's  Bat. 

1889.  V \cspertilio}  subulatus  Leidy,  Ann  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  5. 
Pleistocene.     Hartman's  Cave,   near  Stroudsburg,   Monroe   Co.,  Penna. 
These  may  prove  to  have  been  M.  lucifugus  Le  C.     See  list  of  recent  bats. 

Eptesicus  fuscus  (Beauvois).     Greater  Brown  Bat. 

1889.   Vespertilio  fuscus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  5. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
See  also 

1871.?   Vespertilio  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  95. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Numerous  slender 
bones.  See  list  of  recent  bats  for  references. 

Order  INSECTIVORA ;   Insect-eaters. 

Family  SORICHXE  ;  Shrews. 
Blarina  simplicidens  Cope.    Fossil  Mole  Shrew. 
1899.  Blarina  simplicidens  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  xi, 

pt.  2,  p.  219. 

Type  locality, — Port  Kennedy — 1.  c.  Type  No.  150,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Left  mandibular 
ramus. 

Family  TALPHXE;  Moles. 
Scalops  aquations  (Linnaeus).     Eastern  Mole. 

1889.  Scalops  aquaticus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  5. 
Pleistocene.     Hartman's  Cave,   near   Stroudsburg,  Monroe   Co.,  Penna. 
See  also  ' 

(227) 


228  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

1871.  Scalops  sp.  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  94. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Humerus.     See 
list  of  recent  moles  for  references. 


Order  FER^E  ;   Carnivores  or  Flesh  Eaters. 

Family  URSID^E.     Bears. 
Ursus  americanus  Pallas.     American  Black  Bear. 

1889.   Ursus  americanus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.  (1887),  p.  18. 

Pleistocene.     Durham  Cave,  near  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna. 

1899.  Ursus  americanus  Cope,  Jour.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  226.  Port 
Kennedy,  Montg.  Co.,  Penna.  Remains  of  8  individuals.  See  previous  list 
of  recent  bears  for  references. 

Ursus  haplodon  Cope.     Appalachian  Cave  Bear. 

1871.  Arctodus  pristinus  Cope  (not  Leidy),  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc., 
xii,  p.  96. 

1895.  Arctotherium  pristinum  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  447. 

1896.  Ursus  haplodon  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  383. 
Type  locality.  —  Port  Kennedy  —  1.  c.  Type  No.  85,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.    Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.    Remains  abundant. 

Family  PROCYONHXE  ;  Racoons,  etc. 
Procyon  lotor  (Linnaeus).     Eastern  Racoon. 

1889.  Procyon  lotor  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penna.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp.  5—18. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
Durham  Cave,  near  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Skulls  and  numerous 
other  bones.  See  list  (antea),  for  recent  Racoon  references. 

Family  CANID^:  ;  Dogs,  Foxes,  etc. 
Canis  priscolatrans  Cope.    Fossil  Coyote. 

1899.  Canis  priscolatrans  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  vol. 
xi,  pt.  2,  p.  227,  pi.  xviii,  figs.  3  and  3  g. 

Type  locality.  —  Port  Kennedy  —  1.  c.     Type  No.  5  7,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Various  remains. 

Canis  mexicanus  nubilus  (Say).     Appalachian  Timber  Wolf. 
1889.   Canis  lupus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.,  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  5. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  2 29 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
Fragments  of  mandible,  teeth,  etc.  See  list  (antea),ior  recent  wolf  refer- 
ences. 

Vulpes  latidentatus  Cope.    Fossil  Red  Fox. 

1899.  Vulpes  latidentatus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  vol.  xi, 
pt.  2,  p.  228,  pi.  xviii,  figs.  4  and  4  a. 

Type  locality.— Port  Kennedy— 1.  c.     Type  No.  60,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     One  upper  molar. 

Urocyon  cinereoargenteus  (Muller).    Gray  Fox. 

1889.  Vulpes  virginianus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.,  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp. 
5  and  18. 

1899.  Vulpes  cinercoargentatus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2), 
vol.  xi,  pt.  2,  p.  228. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Hartman's  Cave, 
near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna.  Durham  Cave,  near  Riegelsville, 
Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Five  mandibular  rami  and  two  lower  molars.  See  list 
(antea),  for  recent  fox  references. 

Family  MUSTELIDJE  ;  Weasels,  Skunks,  Otters,  etc. 
Mustela  diluviana  Cope.     Fossil  American  Marten. 

1899.  Mustela  diluviana  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  vol.  xi, 
pt.  2,  p.  229,  pi.  xviii,  figs.  5  and  5  a. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy— 1.  c.     Type  No.  05,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Three  rami  and 
one  left  inferior  sectorial  tooth. 

Putorius  noveboracensis  Emmons.    New  York  Weasel. 

1889.  Putorius  noveboracensis  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.,  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887, 

P-  5- 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
See  list  (antea),  of  recent  weasels  for  references. 

Gulo  hlSCUS  (Linnaeus).     Wolverene. 

1899.  Gulo  luscus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  vol.  xi,  pt.  2, 
p.  229. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Five  rami  and 
one  left,  superior,  sectorial  tooth.  See  list  (antea)  of  recent  wolverene  for 
references. 


23°  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Mephitis  mephitica  putida  (Boitard).     Northeastern  Skunk. 

1875.  Mephitis  frontata  Coues,  Bull.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Terr.,  p.  7. 

1889.  Mephitis  mephitica  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp. 
5  and  18. 

Pleistocene.  .  Cave,  near  Carlisle,  Cumberland  Co.,  Penna.  Hartman's 
Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna.  Durham  Cave,  near  Riegels- 
ville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  See  list  (an/ea)  for  recent  skunk  references. 

Mephitis  fossidens  Cope.    Pitted- tooth  Fossil  Skunk. 

1896.  Mephitis  fossidens  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  386. 
Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy — 1.  c.     Type,  No.  69,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Jaws  of  a  number 
of  individuals. 

Mephitis  orthostichus  Cope.     Intermediate  Fossil  Skunk. 

1896.  Mephitis  orthostichus  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  389. 
Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy — 1.  c.     Type,  No.  171,  Mus.  A.  N.  S.  . 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Rami  and  teeth 
of  several  individuals. 

Mephitis  leptops  Cope.     Slender-jawed  Fossil  Skunk. 

1899.  Mephitis  leptops  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  xi,  pt.  ii, 
p.  235,  pi.  xviii,  figs.  9  and  9  a. 

Type  locality.     Port  Kennedy— 1.  c.     Type  No.  75,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Two  mandibular 


Mephitis  obtusatus  Cope.     Pigmy  Fossil  Skunk. 

1899.  Mephitis  obtusatus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  vol.  xi, 
pt.  ii,  p.  236. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy— 1.  c.     Type  lost  or  mislaid  by  Prof.  Cope. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.  Penna.     Right  mandibular 


1896.  Genus  Osmotherium  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  385. 

Osmotherium  spelseum  Cope.     Osmotherian  Skunk. 

1896.  Osmotherium  spelceum  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  385. 
Type  locality.— Port  Kennedy — 1.  c.     Type  No.  67,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montg.  Co.,  Penna.     Left  mandibular  ramus 
with  teeth. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  23! 

1896.  Genus  Pelycictis  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  390. 

Pelycictis  lobulatus  Cope.     Great  Fossil  Weasel. 

1896.  Pelycictis  lobulatus  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  390. 
Type  locality.— Port  Kennedy— 1.  c.     Type  No.  66,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Left  mandibular 
ramus. 

Lutra  rhoadsii  Cope.     American  Fossil  Otter. 

1896.  Lutra  rhoadsii  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  391. 
Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy — 1.  c.     Type  No.  61,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Portions  of  right 
and  left  mandibular  rami  with  teeth. 

1838.  Genus    Taxidea   Waterhouse,    Proceed.  Zoological   Society,  London, 

P-  i54- 

Taxidea  taxus  (Schreber).     American  Badger. 

1778.   Ursus  taxus  Schreber,  Saugthiere,  vol.  3,  p.  520,  pi.  142  B. 

1894.  Taxidea  taxus  Rhoads,  Amer.  Nat.,  June,  p.  254. 

1899.  Taxidea  americana  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat,  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  vol.  xi, 
pt.  ii,  p.  239. 

Type  locality. — "  Labrador  and  around  Hudson  Bay." 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Maxillary,  pre- 
maxillary  bones  and  left  mandibular  ramus.  This  existing  species  was  never 
found  recent  east  of  Lake  Michigan. 

Family  FELID^E  :  Cats. 

1833.  Genus  Machairodus    Kaup,  Descr.  d'Ossements    Foss.  Mam.  Mus. 
Darmst.,  pt.  2,  p.  24. 

Machairodus  gracilis  (Cope*).     North  American  Sabre-tooth  Tiger. 

1880.  Smilodon  gracilis  Cope,  Amer.  Naturalist,  p.  857. 

1899.  Machcerodus  gracilis  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  xi, 
pt.  ii,  p.  240,  pi.  xx,  fig.  i. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy — 1.  c.  Type  in  Cope  Colin.  (  ?  Amer.  Mus. 
N.  Hist.,  N.  Y.) 

*  Prof.  Cope's  study  of  this  species  and  merceri  inclined  him  to  the  opinion  that  one  or 
both  would  ultimately  fall  under  Machairodus  (see  page  247  of  Journal  A.  N.  S.).  He  had 
these  names  greatly  confused  in  his  MSS.  corrections. 


232  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Various  whole 
bones,  cranial  fragments  and  dentition  of  4  individuals. 

Machairodus  merceri  (Cope).     Mercer's  Sabre- tooth  Tiger. 

1895.   Uncia  mercerii  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  448. 

1899.  Smilodon  mercerii  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  xi,  pt.  ii, 
p.  245,  pi.  xx,  figs.  2  and  2  c. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy — 1.  c.     Type  No.  50,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  County,  Penna.  Premolar 
teeth  and  two  mandibular  rami. 

Felis  inexpectatus  (Cope).    Fossil  Puma. 

1895.   Crocuta  inexpectata  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  148. 

1899.  Uncia  inexpectata  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  xi,  pt.  ii, 
p.  247,  pi.  xxi,  figs,  i-i  f. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type,  No.  52,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa.  Various  bones  and 
teeth. 

Fells  eyra  Fischer.     Eyra  Cat. 

1814.  Felis  eyra  Fischer.     Zoognosia,  vol.  3,  p.  228. 
1895.  Felis  eyra  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  449. 
Type  locality. — Paraguay. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Left  mandibular 
ramus  and  calcaneum.  This  existing  species  is  not  found  north  of  Texas. 

Lynx  canadensis  Kerr.     Canada  Lynx. 

1889.  Felis  canadensis  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  5. 
Pleistocene.     Hartman's   Cave,  near   Stroudsburg,   Monroe   Co.,  Penna. 
Five  mandibular  rami,  etc.     See  (antea}  list  of  recent  cats,  for  references. 

Lynx  calcaratus  Cope.     Fossil  American  Wild  Cat. 

1895.  Lynx  rufus  Cope  (not  Gueldenstadt),  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila., 
p.  448. 

1899.  Lynx  calcaratus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  xi,  pt.  ii, 
p.  250,  pi.  xxi,  figs.  2-2  a. 

Type  locality. --Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  No.  56,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Remains  of  a 
number  of  jaws  and  teeth.  This  species  is  nearly  identical  in  size  and  gen- 
eral characters  with  the  existing  wild  cat. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  233 

Order  PiNNlPEDlA ;   Seals  and  Walrus. 

Family  ROSMARID.*  ;  Walruses. 

1777.  Genus  Rosmarus  Scopoli,  Introduc.  Hist.  Nature,  p.  490. 
Rosmarus  virginianus  (De  Kay).    Fossil  Atlantic  Walrus. 

1842.  Trichechus  virginianus  De  Kay,  Nat.  Hist.  N.  York,  vol.  i,  p.  55,  pi. 
19,  fig.  i,  a,  b. 

1898.  Rosmarus  virginianus  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  201. 

Type  locality. — Accomac  Co.,  Virginia.  Type  destroyed  by  fire.  Dr.  Leidy 
describes  two  specimens  taken  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  in  the  Transactions 
of  the  Amer.  Philosophical  Society,  vol.  n  (N.  S.),  pp.  83-86,  pis.  4  and  5. 
One  of  these  is  in  the  Museum  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  the  other, 
taken  at  Long  Branch,  is  in  the  N.  Jersey  State  Museum  in  Trenton.  A  por- 
tion of  a  mandible  was  found  in  southern  Chester  Co.  in  1900,  probably  found 
by  fishermen  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay. — Rhoads,  1902. 

Family  PHOCID^E  ;  Seals. 

1875.  Genus  Ogmorhinus  Peters,  Montsab.  K.  P.  Akad.  Wissensch., 
Berlin,  p.  393. 

Ogmorhinus  vetus  (Leidy).     Fossil  Sea  Leopard. 

1854.  Stenorhynchus  vetus  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  vol.  6,  p. 
377;  Cope,  Geol.  New  Jersey,  p.  740. 

Type  locality. — Near  Burlington,  N.  Jersey.     Type  lost. 

Miocene.  Near  Burlington,  Burlington  Co.,  New  Jersey  ;  Shiloh,  Cumber- 
land Co.,  New  Jersey. 

Order  TlLLODONTIA ;    Gliriform  Ungulates. 

Family  TILLOTHERID.E. 

1868.  Genus  Anchippodus  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  232. 
Anchippodus  riparius  Leidy,  Bank  Anchippode. 

1868.  Anchippodus  riparius  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  232. 

Type  locality.— Shark  River,  N.  J. 

Eocene.     Shark  River,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Tooth. 


*34  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Order  UNGULATA  ;   Hoofed  Mammals. 

Family  ELEPHANTID^:  ;  Elephants. 

1799.  Genus  Mammut*  Blumenbach,  Naturgesch.,  p.  698. 
Mammut  americanus  (Kerr).    Ohioan  Mastodon. 

1792.  Elephas  americanus  Kerr,  Animal  Kingdom,  vol.  i,  p.  116. 

1 798.  Elephas  americanus  Cuvier,  Tabl.  Elem.  Hist.  Nat.,  p.  149. 

1799.  Mammut  ohioticum  Blumenbach,  Naturgesch.,  p.  698. 
1868.  Trilophodon  ohioticus  Cope,  Geol.  New  Jersey,  p.  740. 

1871.  Mastodon  americanus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  12,  p.  95 
(eta  uct.). 

Type  locality. — Big  bone  lick,  Kentucky. 

Pleistocene.  The  most  important  records  of  the  Mastodon  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  New  Jersey  are  as  follows  : 

Pennsylvania : 

Bedford  Co. — Bedford  (Spgs?).  See  Mitchell's  Appx.  to  Cuv.  Theo.  of 
Earth,  1818,  p.  363. 

Chester  Co. — Michener  records  a  tooth  from  White  Clay  Creek,  near 
Avondale,  deposited  in  the  West  Chester  Academy  of  Science. 

Franklin  Co. — Near  Chambersburg,  a  tooth.  (See  Phila.  Med.  and  Phys. 
Jour.,  vol.  2,  pt.  i,  p.  157.) 

Luzerne  Co. — Pittston,  remains  found  in  association  with  those  of  Bison, 
Equus,  etc.  (See  Leidy,  Cont.  Ext.  Vert.  Fauna  Washn.  Terr.,  1873,  P- 

255.) 

Montgomery  Co. — Port  Kennedy,  abundant  bones  and  teeth.  (See  Cope, 
sup.  cit.} 

? Co. — Dr.  B.  S.  Barton,  in  Med.  and  Phys.  Journal  (1806),  records 

a  large  tusk  of  a  mastodon  ( ?)   found  in  the  Chemung  River,  one  of  the 
branches  of  the  Susquehanna. 

New  Jersey  : 

Bergen  Co. — Corona  (fide  W.  S.  Valiant,  Curator  of  Rutgers'  College  Mu- 
seum). 

Burlington  Co. — (i)  Near  Pemberton,  an  almost  complete  skull,  with 
ribs,  leg  bones,  etc.,  of  a  single  individual,  was  exposed  in  the  bed  of  a  small 
stream  in  1877,  and  excavated  by  J.  Coleman  Saltar  and  Emlen  McConnell. 
The  skull  is  in  the  museum  of  the  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  (See  Heilprin,  Proc.  A. 
N.  Sci.  1887,  p.  414.)  (2)  Another  skull  is  recorded  from  Pemberton.  It 

*  Cuvier's  name,  Mastodon,  must  give  place  to  this,  the  aboriginal  designation.  Blumen- 
bach's  "  fig.  19,"  in  his  Abbildungen,  fixes  its  identity. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  235 

was  taken  in  a  swamp,  and  long  used  as  a  door-step  by  a  person  ignorant  of 
its  character. 

Essex  Co. — Verona,  a  perfect  tooth.  (Cope,  in  Geol.  N.  J.  1868,  pp.  740, 
74i.) 

Gloucester  Co. — Harrisonville,  Mullica  Hill  and  Woodbury.  The  first  2 
localities  were  given  me  by  Mr.  Valiant.  I  record  the  Woodbury  specimen 
on  the  authority  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Currie,  of  that  city,  who  states  it  was  obtained 
on  Mantua  Creek,  and  is  in  his  yard. 

Mercer  Co. — Near  Trenton,  a  specimen  of  tusk,  said  to  be  found  associ- 
ated with  stone  implements  in  the  Trenton  gravels  in  1878,  12  ft.  below  the 
surface,  is  in  the  Rutgers'  College  Museum. 

Monmouth  Co. —  (i)  Englishtown,  in  marl  (fide  Mr.  Valiant).  (2)  Free- 
hold, bones  found  by  O.  R.  Wills  (Cope,  I.e.).  (3)  Hartshorne's  Mills  (a 
milk  tooth)  (Cope,  1.  c.),  (4)  Long  Branch,  skeleton  standing  in  a  marsh. 
(See  Geol.  Surv.  N.  York  18?,  p.  4.).  (5)  Marlboro,  mandibular  ramus  of 
young  one  with  milk  dentition.  In  Rutgers  College  Museum.  (6)  Poplar, 
in  1824,  skeleton.  (See  Amer.  Jour.  Sci.,  vol.  n,  p.  246  ;  also  Godman's  N. 
Hist.,  1826,  p.  249.) 

Morris  Co. — (i)  Boonton  (fide  Mr.  Valiant).  (2)  Morris  Canal,  near 
Schooley's  Mt.,  in  1827.  (See  Amer.  Jour.  Sci.,  vol.  14,  p.  188.)  A  very 
large  and  perfect  skeleton. 

Salem  Co. — Mannington.  Probably  the  finest  specimen  of  this  animal  now 
preserved  in  this  or  any  other  country  is  in  the  museum  of  Rutgers  College, 
New  Brunswick,  N.  Jersey.  It  was  recently  mounted  by  Ward,  of  Rochester. 
Very  few  bones  were  missing,  these  being  almost  exclusively  tail  vertebrae. 
Its  great  size  and  the  extraordinary  preservation  and  development  of  the 
tusks,  forming  a  double  or  spiral  curvature  upward  and  outward  to  the  length 
of  9  feet,  render  it  a  most  unique  and  valuable  specimen.  It  was  excavated 
from  a  bed  of  gray  ("  recent  or  tertiary  ")  marl  on  the  "  Chestnut  Hill "  farm, 
then  owned  by  J.  R.  Hackett,  and  was  embedded  6  or  8  feet  below  the  sur- 
face. The  extreme  standing  length  from  the  ends  of  the  tusks  to  the  poste- 
rior border  of  the  pelvis  is  22  feet.  To  this  should  be  added  an  additional 
length  of  5  feet  of  tail  vertebrae.  The  total  length  of  the  tail  vertebrae,  as 
restored  by  Ward,  is  6)4  feet.  Height  at  shoulder  9  feet  8}4  inches. 
Length  of  skull  3  feet  8  inches ;  its  width  2  feet  10  inches. 

These-facts  were  furnished  by  the  obliging  curator,  Mr.  Valiant,  and  veri- 
fied by  me  during  a  recent  visit  to  the  Museum. — Rhoads. 

Sussex  Co. — Near  Greenville,  bones  dug  up  about  1853  (Cope  1.  c.). 

Warren  Co. —  (i)  Near  Hope,  skeleton,  sent  to  N.  York  (Cope  1.  c.). 
(2)  Near  Vienna  (tooth),  on  farm  of  J.  Hance  (Cope  1.  c.).  (3)  Between 
Vienna  and  Hackettstown ;  six  skeletons  in  marshy  bog  on  the  farm  of  Wm. 
Ayers,  under  6  feet  of  mud.  (See  LyelPs  Elements  of  Zoology.) 


236  MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY. 

1758.  Genus  Elephas  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  p.  33. 
Elephas  COlumbi  Falconer.     American  Fossil  Elephant. 

1857.  Elephas  columbi  Falconer.  Quart.  Jour.  Geol.  Soc.  London,  vol.  13  ; 
table  facing  p.  319. 

1868.  Elephas  primigenius  Cope.     Geol.  N.  Jersey,  p.  740. 

Type  locality. — Mexico  and  the  southern  United  States. 

Pleistocene.  Cope  (sup.  tit.)  records  teeth  of  this  animal  from  the 
"  Gravel  Drift "  in  N.  Jersey.  I  have  examined  a  molar  in  the  Rutgers 
College  Museum,  taken  near  Plainfield,  Union  Co.,  N.  J.  Prof.  S.  Mitchell, 
in  his  Appx.  to  Cuvier's  Theory  of  the  Earth,  N.  York  ed.,  1818,  p.  384,  de- 
scribes and  figures  a  tooth  taken  near  Shrewsbury,  Monmouth  Co.,  N.  J. 

Remains  of  the  true  fossil  elephant  in  the  eastern  U.  States  are  very  rare 
as  compared  with  those  of  the  mastodon.  Michener  in  his  list  of  the  mam- 
mals of  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  records  a  tooth  from  Hockesson  Valley. 

Family  RHINOCEROTID^E  ;  Rhinoceroses. 
1832.  Genus  Aceratherium  Kaup,  Isis,  p.  ?. 
Aceratherium  matutinmn  (Marsh).     Appalachian  Rhinoceros. 

1 870.  Rhinoceros  matutinum  Marsh.     Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  3 
(nomen  nudum). 

1894.  Rhinoceros  matutinus  Marsh.     Amer.  Journ.  Sci.  xlvi,  p.  411. 
1898.  \_Aceratheriuni}    matutinus    Trouessart.     Catalogus    Mammalium, 
p.  748. 

Type  locatity. — Squankum,  N.  J.     Type  in  Yale  Univ.  Museum. 
Miocene.     Squankum,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Molar. 

Family  TAPIRIDJE  ;  Tapirs. 

1877.  Genus  Tapiravus  Marsh.     Amer.  Jour.  Science,  p.  252. 
Tapiravus  validus  (Marsh).     Marsh's  Fossil  Tapir. 

1871.  Lophiodon  validus  Marsh,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  9. 
1877.  T.  [apiravus~\  validus  Marsh,  Amer.  Journ.  Sci.,  vol.  xiv,  p.  252. 
Type  locality.— Cumberland  Co.,  N.  J.     Type  in  Yale  Univ.  Mus.  ? 
Miocene.     Cumberland  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Molar. 

1798.  Genus  Tapirus  Cuvier,  Tableau  Element.  Del.  Hist.  Nat.,  p.  152. 
Tapirus  haysii  Leidy.     Hays's  Fossil  Tapir. 

1850.  Tapirus  Americanus  fossilis  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  vol.  iv, 
p.  1 80. 


MAMMALS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA    AND    NEW   JERSEY.  237 

1854.  Tapirus  Haysii  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  vol.  vi,  p.  106 
{nomen  nuduni}. 

1860.  Tapirus  haysii  Leidy,  in  Holmes'  Post- Pliocene  Fossils  of  S.  Carol., 
p.  107,  pi.  xvii,  figs.  1-12. 

1871.  Tapirus  haysii  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  95. 

Type  locality. — Big  Bone  Lick,  Kentucky. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Remains  very 
abundant. 

Family  EQUIDJE  ;  Horses. 

1758.  Genus  Equus  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  73. 
Equiis  complicatus  Leidy.     Complicate  Fossil  Horse. 

1858.  Equus  complicatus  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  n. 

1860-  Equus  fraternus  Leidy,  in  Holmes'  Postpliocene  Fossils  of  S.  Carol., 
p.  100,  pi.  xv,  figs.  6,  8,  16,  17,  18;  pi.  xvi,  figs.  23,  27-29;  Cope,  Geol., 
New  Jersey,  p.  741  ;  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phil.,  (2),  xi,  pt.  2,  p. 
255,  1899. 

Type  locality. — Near  Natchez,  Mississippi. 

Pleistocene  ?  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Various  bones  and 
teeth,  "  Terrace  deposits."  Swedesboro,  Gloucester  Co.,  N.  J.  Pea  shore 
clay  bed  in  the  Delaware,  Camden  Co.,  New  Jersey. 

1842?  Equus  major  DeKay,  Zoology  of  New  York,  Mammalia,  p.  108; 
(nomen  nudum)  ;  Leidy,  Contr.  Ext.  Vert.  Fauna,  p.  244,  1873.  "Near  the 
Navesink  Hills  in  New  Jersey"  (Monmouth  Co.).  (Also  see  teeth  from  Hart- 
man's  Cave,  Monroe  Co.,  Pa.)  "  Pittstown  (Pittston)  on  the  banks  of  the 
Susquehanna  River,  Luzerne  Co.,  Penna."  (with  mastodon).  "North  branch 
of  the  Susquehanna."  (Possibly  a  duplication  of  the  preceding  one.) 

Equus  pectinatus  (Cope).     Pectinate  Fossil  Horse. 

1899.  Equus  fraternus  pectinatus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  N.  Sci.,  Phila.,  vol. 
ii,  p.  255  or  6. 

1901.  Equus  pectinatus  Gidley,  Bull.  Amer.   Mus.  N.  Hist.,  N.  York,  vol 

i4,  P-  133. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pennsylvania. 
Pleistocene — Magolonyx  beds.     Nine  superior  molars  and  premolars. 

Family  SUIOE  ;  Pigs. 

1894.  Germs  Ammo  don  Marsh,  Amer.  Journ.  Sci.,  vol.  46,  p.  409. 
Ammodon  leidyanum  Marsh.  Leidy's  Fossil  Pig. 

1870.  Elotherium  leidyanum  Marsh,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  3 
(Nomen  nudum.) 


238  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

1894.  Ammodon  Leidyanum  Marsh,  Amer.  Journ.  Sci.,  vol.  xlvi,  p.  409,  pi. 
ix,  figs.  2  and  3. 

Type  locality. — Squankum,  1.  c.     Type  in  Yale  Univ.  Mus.? 
Miocene.     Squankum,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Premolar. 

Family  TAYASSUID/E  ;  Peccaries. 

1889.  Genus  Mylohyus  Cope,  American  Naturalist,  p.  134. 
Mylohyus  tetragonus  Cope.     Cope's  Fossil  Peccary. 

1899.  Mylohyus  tetrargonus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  (2),  xi, 
pt.  ii,  p.  260,  pi.  xxi,  Figs.  3  and  3  b. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  No.  108,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Imperfect  ramus 
with  6  teeth. 

Mylohyus  pennsylvanicus  (Leidy).     Pennsylvania  Fossil  Peccary. 

1889.  Dicotyles  pennsylvanicus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887, 
p.  8,  pl.ii,  figs.  3-6. 

1893.  Mylohyus  pennsylvanicus  Cope,  Publica.  Univ.  of  Penna.,  vol.  6,  p. 

171. 

1899.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  (2),  vol.  xi,  pt.  ii,  p.  262. 

Type  locality. — Hartman's  Cave,  1.  c.     Type  in  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
Durham  Cave,  near  Reigelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Irwin's  Care,  Port 
Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Jaws  and  teeth. 

Mylohyus  nasutus  (Leidy).     Long-Snouted  Fossil  Peccary. 

1869.  Dicotyles  nasutus  Leidy.     Extinct  Mammals  Dak.  and  Neb.,  p.  385, 
pi.  xxviii,  figs,  i  and  2. 

1899.  Mylohyus  nasutus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  xi,  pt.  ii, 
p.  263. 

Type  locality. — Gibson  Co.,  Indiana. 

Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Superior  Canine. 

Eocene.     Shark  River,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Molar. 

Miocene.     Squankum,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey. 

1875.  Genus  Thinohyus  Marsh,  Amer.  Jour.  Sci.,  vol.  ix,  p.  248. 
Thinohyus  antiquus  (Marsh).     Marsh's  Fossil  Peccary. 

1870.  Dicotyles   antiquus   Marsh,    Proc.  Acad.   Nat.  Sci.,    Phila.,  p.   ii. 
(nomen  nudum.) 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  239 

1894.  Percharus  (Dicotyles)  antiquus  Marsh,  Amer.  Journ.  Sci.,  vol.  xlvi, 
p.  411,  pi.  x,  fig.  i. 

1894.  Thinohyus  {Dicotyles)  antiquus  Marsh,  Amer.  Journ.  Sci.,  vol. 
xlviii,  p.  271. 

Type  locality. — Shark  River — 1.  c.  Type  in  Mus.  Yale  Univ. 

Miocene.     Shark  River,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Molar. 

1848.  Genus  Platigonus  Le  Conte,  Amer.  Jour.  Sci.,  vol.  V,  p.  103. 
Platigonus  vetus  Leidy.     Leidy's  Platygone  Peccary. 

1883.  Platygomis  vetus  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  301. 
Type  locality. — Mifflin  Co.,  Penna.     Type  in  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Limestone  Quarry,  Mifflin  Co.,  Penna.     Fragments  of  jaws  with  teeth. 

Family  BOVID^E  ;  Oxen  and  Bisons. 
Bison  bison  (Linnaeus).     American  Bison. 

1873.  Bison  latifrons  Leidy,  Cont.  Ext.  V.  Fauna,  Wash.  Ter.,  p.  255, 
pi.  xxviii. 

1889.  B\ison\  americanus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  5. 

Pleistocene?  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna., 
jaw  fragment  with  last  molar.  Pittston,  Luzerne  Co.,  second  upper  and  first 
and  third  lower  molars  (recent?).  Specimens  in  Mus.  A. 'N.  Sci.,  Phila. 
See  list  (anfea)  for  recent  bison  references. 

Bison,  sp.     (Cope.) 

1871.  Bos  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  96. 

Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Various  bones. 

1816.  Genus  Ovibos  Blainville;  Bulletin  Soc.  Philomatique,  p.  76. 
Ovibos  (Bootherium)  appalachicolus  (Rhoads) .  Appalachian  Musk  Ox. 

1895.  Bison  appalachicolus  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  248. 

1897.  Ovibos  (Bootherium?} appalachicolus  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci., 
Phila.,  p.  492. 

Type  locality. — Durham  Cave — 1.  c.  Type  No.  29,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Durham  Cave,  near  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Horn 
core. 

Ovibos  moschatus  (Zimmermann).     Musk  Ox. 

1780.  Bos  moschatus  Zimmermann,  Geographisch.  Geschichte,  vol.  ii,  p.  86. 
1822.   Ovibos  moschatus  Desmarest,  Mammalogie,  vol.  ii,  p.  492. 


240  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Type  locality. — Churchill  River,  Keewatin,  Canada.  Prof.  F.  W.  Putnam 
writes  as  follows  regarding  a  specimen  of  this  animal  which  I  was  informed 
by  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott  had  been  found  near  Trenton,  N.  J.  "We  have  in  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New  York,  a  fragment  of  the  scapula 
of  a  musk  ox  found  on  March  13,  1899,  while  digging  sand  underlying  the 
Trenton  gravel  at  the  place  known  as  the  sand  pit  on  Hancock  Street.  The 
specimen  was  found  ten  feet  below  the  present  surface." 

Family  CERVTIXE  ;  Deer. 
1899.  Genus  Teleopternus  Cope,  Jour.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  263. 

Teleopternus  orientalis  Cope.    Cope's  Cameloid  Deer. 

1899.  Teleopternus  orientalis  Cope.  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  (2), 
vol.  xi,  pt.  ii,  p.  264,  pi.  xxi,  figs.  4  and  43. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  No.  39,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Molar  teeth  of 
three  individuals. 

1835.  Genus  Alces  Jardine,  Naturalist's  Library,  21,  p.  125. 

Alces  americanus  Jardine.     East  American  Moose. 

1835.  Alces  americanus  Jardine,  Naturalist's  Library,  vol.  21,  p.  125. 

1889.  Alee  americanus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.,  Penn.  Geol.  Survey,  p.  19. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  Canada. 

Pleistocene.  Durham  Cave,  near  Reigelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  In 
Doughty's  Cab.  Nat.  Hist.,  vol.  i,  p.  281,  a  Phila.  correspondent  says  horns 
of  moose  were  found  in  a  salt  lick  in  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  Pa.,  near  the 
New  York  State  line. 

1885.  Genus  Cervalces  Scott,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  184. 

Cervalces  scotti  (Lydekker),     Scott's  Fossil  Moose. 

1825.  Cervus  americanus  Harlan  (not  of  Erxleben).  Fauna  americana, 
p.  245. 

1885.   Cervalces  americanus  Scott,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  184. 

1898.  Alces  scotti  Lydekker,  Deer  of  all  Lands,  p.  60. 

Type  locality. — Mt.  Hermon,  1.  c.  Type  mounted  in  Mus.  Princeton  Univ., 
N.J. 

Pleistocene.  Shell  marl  beneath  a  bog.  Mt.  Hermon,  Warren  Co.,  New 
Jersey.  Skeleton. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  241 

827.  Genus  Rangifer  Ham.  Smith,  Griffith's  Cuv.  Animal  Kingdom,  vol.  5, 

p.  304. 

Rangifer  caribou  (Gmelin).    Woodland  Caribou. 
1788.  \_Cen>us  tarandus~\,  var.  C.,  caribou  Gmelin,  Linn.  Sys.  Naturae,  p. 
177. 

1889.  Rangifer  caribou  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  5. 
Type  locality. — Eastern  Canada.     "  New  France"  of  Charlevoix. 
Pleistocene.      Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
Jaw  fragments  and  teeth. 

Rangifer  grcenlandicus  (Gmelin).    Barren  Ground  Caribou. 
1788.   [Cervus  tarandus\  var.  R, grcenlandicus  Gmelin,  Linn.  Syst.  Naturae, 
p.  177. 

1868.  Rangifer  grcenlandicus  Cope,  Geol.  New  Jersey,  p.  740. 

1869.  Cervus  tararidus  Leidy,  Ext.  Mamm.,  N.  America,  p.  377. 
Type  locality. — Greenland. 

Drift  Period.  Gravel,  New  Jersey.  An  antler  from  Trenton,  N.  J.,  in 
Peabody  Museum,  Mass.,  _/&/<?  Putnam,  1901.  Vincentown,  Burlington  Co., 
New  Jersey. 

Cervus  canadensis  Erxleben.     Wapiti ;  American  Elk. 

1868.  Cervus  canadensis  Cope,  Geol.  New  Jersey,  p.  742;  Leidy,  Ext. 
Mamm.,  N.  Amer.,  p.  377,  1869. 

1889.  Cennis  canadensis  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp.  6 
and  19. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. ; 
Durham  Cave,  Bucks  Co.,  Penn.  Fragments  of  bones  and  teeth.  Gravel 
Drifts,  New  Jersey.  Deal,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey.  Portions  of  antlers. 
See  list  (antea)  for  recent  wapiti  references. 

Odocoileus  americanus  (Erxleben).    Virginia  Deer. 

1868.  Cariacus  virginianus  Cope,  Geol.,  New  Jersey,  p.  742. 

1869.  Cervus  virginianus   Leidy,   Ext.   Mamm.  N.  Amer.,  p.  376;  also 
1889,  Annual  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp.  6  and  19. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna.  Dur- 
ham Cave,  near  Reigelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Numerous  bones  and  teeth. 
Carlisle,  Cumberland  Co.,  Penna.  "'  Marl  pits  and  superficial  drift,"  New 
Jersey.  Burlington  and  Monmouth  counties,  New  Jersey.  See  list  (antea) 
for  recent  deer  references. 

Odocoileus  Sp.  (Cope). 

1899.  Cariacus  sp.,  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  (2),  vol.  xi,  pt.ii, 
p.  266. 


242  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Various  bones  and 
portions  of  the  same,  considered  by  Prof.  Cope  to  be  referable  probably  to  the 
Virginia  deer,  O.  americanus  (supra). 

Odocoileus  laevicornis  (Cope).     Slender  Horned  Fossil  Deer. 
1896.   Cariacus  lavicornis  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  393. 
Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.,  Type  No.  41,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.      Port   Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Right  superior 
molars,  various  bones  and  portions  of  base  of  antlers. 

Order  GLIRES  :    Rodents  or  Gnawers. 
Family  ERETHIZONTIDJE  ;  Non-prehensile  Porcupines. 

Erethizon  dorsatUS  (Linnaeus).     Appalachian  Porcupine. 

1871.  Erethizon  cloacinum  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  93. 

1889.  Erethizon  dorsatus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  PP- 
5  and  18. 

1899.  Erethizon?  dorsatum  Cope,  Jour.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  (2),  vol. 
xi,  pt.  ii,  p.  198. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Several  molars. 
Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna.  Durham  Cave,  near 
Reigelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Parts  of  skulls  and  numerous  bones  and 
teeth.  See  list  (antea)  for  references  to  recent  porcupines. 

Family  SCIURID/E  ;  Squirrels. 

Sciurus  carolinensis  Gmelin.     Carolina  Gray  Squirrel. 

1889.  Sciurus  carolinensis  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp. 
5  and  18. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna., 
and  Durham  Cave,  near  Reigelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Bones  and  teeth. 
See  list  (antca)  for  references  to  recent  squirrels. 

Sciurus  calycinus  Cope.     Cope's  Fossil  Chickaree. 

1871.  Sciurus  calycinus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  86. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.  Type  probably  in  Amer.  Mus.,  N. 
Hist,  of  N.York, 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Two  imperfect 
rami  with  molars. 

Tamias  StriatUS  (Linnaeus).     Eastern  Chipmunk. 

1889.  Tamias striatus  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  6. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  243 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna.  Ten 
mandibular  rami,  etc.  See  list  (anfca)  for  references  to  recent  chipmunk. 

Arctomys  monax  (Linnaeus).     Maryland  Marmot,  Woodchuck. 

1889.  Arctomys  monax  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp.  5 
and  1 8. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  and  Dur- 
ham Cave,  near  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Skulls  and  various  bones. 
See  list  (antea)  for  references  to  recent  marmot. 

Family  CASTORID^  ;  Beavers. 

Castor  canadensis  Kuhl.     American  Beaver. 

1889.  Castor  fiber  Leidy  (not  of  Linn.),  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv,  1887, 
pp.  5  and  18  ;  Cope  (not  of  Linn.),  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  378,  1896. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Left  mandibular 
ramus  and  three  superior  molars.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Mon- 
roe Co.,  and  Durham  Cave,  near  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Various 
bones.  "  Portions  of  skull  and  jaws  with  teeth  found  together  with  remains 
of  the  Mastodon  in  marshes  in  New  Jersey."  (Leidy  in  Holmes'  Post  Plei- 
ocene  Fossils  of  S.  Carol.,  p.  112.)  See  list  (anted)  for  references  to  recent 
beaver. 

Family  MURID^E  ;  Mice,  Rats,  etc. 

Peromyscus  leucopus  (Rafinesque).     Rafinesque's  Deer  Mouse. 

1880.  Hesperomys  leucopiis  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  6. 
Pleistocene.    Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna.    One 
mandibular  ramus,  etc. 

Peromyscus  sp.— (Cope). 

1871.  Hesperomys  sp.,  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  87. 

1897  {Peromyscus}.  Pub.  Univ.  of  Penna.,  vol.  6,  p.  170.     (Mercer). 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Durham  Cave, 
Bucks  Co.,  Penna.  Rami  with  teeth ;  various  bones.  See  list  (antea)  of 
recent  Peromyscus. 

Neotoma  magister  Baird.    Allegheny  Cave  Rat. 

1857.  Neotoma  magister  Baird.     Mamm.  N.  Amer.,  p.  498. 
1889.  Neotoma  floridana  Leidy  (not  Say  and  Ord),  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol. 
Surv.,  1887,  pp.  6  and  19. 

"Bone  caves  of  Pennsylvania"  (near  Carlisle).     Baird. 

Pleistocene.     Hartman's   Cave,   near   Stroudsburg,  Monroe   Co.,  Penna. 


244  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Numerous  bones.     Durham  Cave,  near  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna.     See 
list  (antea}  of  recent  Neotoma. 

1 88 1.  Genus  Anaptogonia  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  p.  91. 

Anaptogonia  hiatidens  (Cope).    Great  Anaptogon  Vole. 

1871.  Arvicola  hiatidens  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  91. 

1896.  Anaptogonia  hiatidens  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  379. 

Type  locality,— Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.  Type  in  Amer.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N. 
York.? 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Lower  molars. 
This  vole  is  twice  the  size  of  the  meadow  mouse. 

1899.  Genus  Sycium  Cope,  Jour.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  vol.  xi,  pt.  2,  p.  203. 

Sycium  cloacinum  (Cope).    Cope's  Sycium  Vole. 

1896.  Anaptogonia  cloacina  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  380. 

1899.  Sycium  cloacinum  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  vol.  xi, 
pt.  ii,  p.  203. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  No.  147,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  County,  Penna.  Molars  (4)  of 
2  individuals.  Size  about  the  same  as  A.  hiatidens,  supra. 

Microtus  pennsylvanicus  (Ord).    Wilson's  Meadow  Vole. 

1889.  Arvicola  riparius  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  6. 
Pleistocene.     Hartman's   Cave,   near   Stroudsburg,   Monroe   Co.,  Penna. 
Two  mandibular  rami,  etc.     See  list  (antea)  for  reference  to  recent  Microtus. 

Microtus  diluvianus  Cope.     Great  Diluvian  Vole. 

1896.  Microtus  diluvianus  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  381. 
Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  No.  144,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 
Pleistocene.    Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.    Molars.    This  vole 
is  apparently  larger  than  any  existing  Microtus. 

Microtus  speothen  (Cope).     Isodeltan  Fossil  Vole. 

1871.  Arvicola  speothen  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  87, 

fig-  13- 

1871.  Arvicola  tetradelta  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  88, 
fig.  14. 

1896.  Microtus  speothen  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  383. 

Type  locality.— Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  in  Amer.  Mus.  N.  Hist.,  N.  Y.? 

Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Left  mandibular 


MAMMALS   OF  PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  245 

Microtus  dideltus  (Cope).    Fossil  Pine  Vole. 

1871.  Arvicola  didelta  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.   Philos.   Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  89, 

fig-  IS- 

1871.  Arvicola  sigmodus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  90, 
fig.  17. 

1899.  Microtiis  dideltus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.  (2),  vol.  xi, 
pt.  ii,  p.  207. 

Type  locality, — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  in  Amer.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  N.  Y.  ? 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Mandibular  rami 
and  superior  dentition.  This  vole  is  so  closely  related  to  the  existing  M. 
pinetorum  as  to  suggest  their  identity. 

Microtus  involutus  (Cope).        Involute  Fossil  Vole. 

1871.  Arvicola  involuta  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  89,  fig.  16. 
1896.  M.\icrotus\  involutus  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  382. 
Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.    Type  in  Amer.  Mus.  N.  Hist.,  N.  York.  ? 
Pleistocene.     Port   Kennedy,    Montgomery   County,   Penn.      Mandibular 
ramus  with  full  series  of  teeth. 

Fiber  zibethicus  (Linnaeus).     Eastern  Muskrat. 

1869.  Fiber  zibethicus  Leidy,  Extinct  Mamm.  N.  Amer,  p.  406  ;  Ann.  Rep. 
Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp.  5  and  19,  1889. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
Various  bones  and  teeth.  Durham  Cave,  near  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna. 
"Associated  with  Mastodon  remains  in  New  Jersey."  See  list  (antea)  of 
references  to  recent  muskrat. 

Family  ZAPODID^:  ;  American  Jumping  Mice. 
1873.  Genus  Zapus  Coues,  Bui.  U.  S.  Geolog.  Surv.,  No.  5,  ser.  2,  p.  253. 

Zapus  hudsonius  (Zimmermann).     Eastern  Meadow  Zapus. 

1871.  Jaculus  ?  hudsonius  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  86. 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     One  mandibular 
ramus.     See  list  (anfea)  for  references  to  recent  Zapus. 

Family  CASTOROIDID^E  ;  Giant  Beavers. 
1838.  Genus  Castoroides  Foster,  Second  Report  Geol.  Surv.  Ohio,  p.  81. 

Castoroides  ohioensis  Foster.    Great  Fossil  Beaver. 
1838.  Castoroides  ohioensis  Foster,  Second  Ann.  Rep.  Geol.  Surv.  Ohio, 
p.  81. 


246  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

1889.  Castoroides  ohioensis  Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  p.  14. 

Type  locality. — Near  Nashport,  Muskingum  ("Licking")  Co.,  Ohio. 

Pleistocene.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
Incisors  and  molar  teeth.  Also  recorded  by  S.  Lockwood  in  Hist,  of  Mon- 
mouth  Co.,  N.  J.,  as  having  been  found  there. 

Family  OCHOTONID^E  ;  Pikas. 
1795."  Genus  Ochotona  Link. 

Ochotona  palatinus  (Cope).     Cope's  Fossil  Pika. 

1871.  Praotherium  palatinum  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  94, 
fig.  20. 

1899.  Logomys  palatinus  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  (2),  xi,  pt.  ii, 
p.  209. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Palatal  region  of 
one  individual  with  four  molars. 

Family  LEPORHXE;  Hares. 

Lepus  floridanus  mallurus  (Thomas).     Eastern  Cottontail  Rabbit. 

1871.  Lepus  sylvaticus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  93; 
Leidy,  Ann.  Rep.  Penn.  Geol.  Surv.,  1887,  pp.  6  and  19,  1889. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Remains  of  nu- 
merous individuals.  Hartman's  Cave,  near  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Penna. 
Various  bones  and  teeth.  Durham  Cave,  near  Riegelsville,  Bucks  Co.,  Penna. 

Order  SiRENlA :   Manatees,  Dugongs,  etc. 

Family  TRICHECHID^E  ;  Manatees. 
1758.  Genus  Trichecus  Linnseus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  34. 

Trichecus  sp.  (Leidy). 

1869.  Manatus  sp.  Leidy,  Extinct  Mamm.  N.  America,  p.  414. 
"  Miocene  and  later  formations  of  New  Jersey." 

Family  DUGONGHXE  ;  Dugongs. 
1871.  Genus  Hemicaulodon  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xi,  p.  191. 

Hemicaulodon  effodiens  Cope.    Great  Extinct  Dugong. 

1871.  Hemicaulodon  effodiens  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xi,  p. 
191,  pi.  5,  fig.  6. 


MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW  JERSEY.  247 

Type  locality. — Shark  River,  1.  c.  Type  may  be  in  Amer.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist., 
N.  York. 

Eocene.     Shark  River,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Incisor. 

Order  CETACEA  :  Whales,  Dolphins. 

Family  SQUALODONTUXE  :  Shark-toothed  Whales. 

1840.  Genes  Squalodon  Grateloup,  Act.  Acad.  Roy.  Sci.,  Bourdeaux,  p.  208. 

Squalodon  atlanticus  (Leidy).    Biserrate  Squalodon. 

1856.  Macrophoca  atlanticus  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  220. 

1867.  Squalodon  atlanticus  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  132. 
Type  locality. — Shiloh,  1.  c.     Whereabouts  of  type  not  known. 
Miocene.     Shiloh,  Cumberland  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Molars. 

Squalodon  sp.,  Cope. 

1868.  Squalodon  sp..  Cope,  Geol.  New  Jersey,  p.  740. 
Miocene.     Squankum,  Monmouth  Co.,  New  Jersey. 

Family  PLATANISTID.E  ;  Little-necked  Whales. 
1869.  Genus  Frisco delphinus  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  326. 

Priscodelphinus  harlani,  Leidy.     Harlan's  Sword  Dolphin. 

1851.  Priscodelphinus  harlani,  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  327. 

1851.  Priscodelphinus  grandcevus  Leidy,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p. 
327  (three  lines  lower). 

Type  locality. — "  Greensand  of  N.  Jersey."  Leidy,  1.  c.  Type  in  Mus. 
A.  N.  S. 

Miocene.  Mullica  Hill,  Gloucester  Co.,  New  Jersey.  Shiloh,  Cumber- 
land Co.,  New  Jersey.  Vertebrae. 

Priscodelphinus  lacertosus  (Cope).    Lacertine  Sword  Dolphin. 

1868.  Delphinapterus  lacertosus,  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p. 
190  (above). 

1868.  Delphinapterus  hawkinsii  Cope,  Proc.    Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p. 
190  (below). 

Type  locality. — Shiloh,  1.  c.     Type  may  be  in  Amer.  Mus.  N.  Hist.,  N.  York. 
Miocene.     Cumberland  Co.,  N.  Jersey. 

Priscodelphinus  uraeus  (Cope).    Urean  Sword  Dolphin. 

1869.  Tretophys  uraeus  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  8. 


248  MAMMALS  OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

?  1871.  Priscodelphinus  lacertosus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  p.  363. 
1876.  Priscodelphinus  uraeus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  p.  363. 
Type  locality. — Shiloh,  1.  c.     Type  may  be  in  A.  M.  N.  H.,  N.  York. 
Miocene.     Shiloh,  1.  c.    Vertebra. 

1868.  Genus  Ixacanthus  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  159. 

Ixacanthus  COelospondyhlS  Cope.     Ixacanth  Sword  Dolphin. 

1868.  Ixacanthus  coelbspondylus  Cope    (same  reference  as  for  genus)  : 
Geology  N.  Jersey,  p.  739. 

Type  locality.— Maryland. 

Miocene.  Shiloh,  Cumberland  Co.,  N.  Jersey.  Cope  states  that  the 
presence  of  this  species  in  the  New  Jersey  Miocene  is  doubtful.  Proc. 
Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xi,  p.  364. 

1868.  Genus  Zarachis  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  189. 

Zarhachis  velox  Cope.     Slender  Zarachian  Whale. 

1869.  Zarhachis  velox  Cope,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  10. 

Type  locality. — Shiloh,  1.  c.  Type  may  be  in  Amer.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N. 
York. 

Miocene.     Shiloh,  Cumberland  Co.,  New  Jersey.     A  single  vertebra. 

1875.  Genus  Agabelus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  p.  363. 

Agabelus  porcatus  Cope.     Porcate  Sword  Dolphin. 
1875.  Agabelus  porcatus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xiv,  p.  363. 
Type  locality.— Cumberland  Co.,  1.  c.     Type  may  be  in  Amer.  Mus.  N. 
Hist.,  N.  Y. 

Miocene.     Cumberland  Co.,  New  Jersey.     Muzzle. 

Family  PHYSETERIM:  ;  Sperm  Whales. 
1758.  Genus  Physeter  Linnaeus,  Systema  Naturae,  vol.  i,  p.  76. 

Physeter  vetus  (Leidy).     Leidy's  Sperm  Whale. 

1853.  Physeter  antiquus  Leidy  (not  Gervais),  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila., 
p.  378  ;  Cope,  Geol.  New  Jersey,  p.  739. 

1869.   Catodon  vetus  Leidy,  Extinct  Mamm.  N.  Amer.,  p.  436. 
1898.   \Physe ter]  antiquus-vetus  Trouessart,  Catal.  Mamm.,  p.  1055. 
Type  locality. — Ashley  River,  S.  Carolina. 
Miocene.     Shiloh,  Cumberland  Co.,  New  Jersey. 


MAMMALS   OF    PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY.  249 

Order  EDENTATA  ;   Anteaters,  Sloths,  etc. 
Family  MYLODONTIDJE  ;  Colpodont  Ground  Sloths. 
1840.  Genus  Mylodon  Owen,  Zool.  Beagle,  p.  67. 

Mylodon  missouriensis  (Harlan).     Harlan's  Ground  Sloth. 

1841.   Oryctotherium  missouriense  Harlan,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  2, 

P.  3&i- 

1 84?.  Mylodon  harlani  Owen,  Descr.  Ext.  Gig.  Sloth,  p.  15. 

1871.  Mylodon  ?  harlani  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  85. 

Type  locality. — Benton  Co.,  Missouri. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Ungual  phalanges 
and  portion  of  tibia. 

Family  MEGALONICHID^E  ;  Diastemodont  Ground  Sloths. 

1797?  Genus  Megalonyx.  'Jefferson,  Trans.  Amer.  Philosoph.  Soc.,  Phila., 
vol.  4,  1798  [1797  ?],  p.  248. 

Megalonyx  loxodon  Cope.     Loxodont  Ground  Sloth. 

1871.  Megalonyx  loxodon  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  74,  fig.  2. 
Type  locality.— Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  in  Amer.  Mus.  N.  Hist.,  N.  Y.? 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Single  superior 
canine  molar. 

Megalonyx  wheatleyi  Cope.    Wheatley's  Ground  Sloth. 

1871.  Megalonyx  wheatleyi  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  75, 
figs,  i,  3-8. 

1871.  Megalonyx  dissimilis  Cope  (not  Leidy),  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc., 
xii,  p.  83. 

1871.  Megalonyx  sphenodon  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vol.  xii,  p.  83. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.  Type  in  Amer.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N. 
York.? 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Remains  very 
abundant. 

Megalonyx  tortulus  Cope.     Cope's  Lesser  Ground  Sloth. 

1871.  Megalonyx  tortulus  Cope,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  xii,  p.  84,  fig.  12. 
Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  in  Amer.  Mus.  Hist.,  N.  York.? 
Pleistocene.     Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.     Canine  and  pos- 
terior molars. 


250  MAMMALS   OF   PENNSYLVANIA   AND   NEW   JERSEY. 

Megalonyx  scalper  Cope.     Chisel-tooth  Ground  Sloth. 

1899.  Megalonyx  scalper,  Cope,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  (2),  xi,  pt. 
ii,  p.  218,  pi.  xviii,  figs.  2  and  2a. 

Type  locality. — Port  Kennedy,  1.  c.     Type  No.  84,  Mus.  A.  N.  S. 

Pleistocene.  Port  Kennedy,  Montgomery  Co.,  Penna.  Canine  molar. 
•  This  species  and  M.  loxodon  are  probably  based  on  aberrant  forms  of  M. 
wheatleyi.  The  improbability  of  four  species  of  Megalonyx,  distinct  from  M. 
jeffersoni,  occurring  side  by  side  in  the  same  bone  pit,  is  further  emphasized 
by  the  fact  that  many  intermediate  forms  between  specimens  taken  as  the 
types  of  Prof.  Cope's  species  are  to  be  found  in  this  collection.  I  concur 
with  Prof.  Cope  that  M.  wheatleyi  seems  entitled  to  rank  as  distinct  from 


LIST  OF  CORRESPONDENTS  WHOSE  NAMES  APPEAR  IN 
THIS  WORK. 


Abbott,  Charles  C.,  Trenton,  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J. 

Allen,  J.  A.,  American  Museum,  Nat.  History,  N.  York. 

Austin,  E.  O.,  Austin,  Potter  Co.,  Pa. 

Babcock,  W.  C.,  Blossburg,  Tioga  Co.,  Pa. 

Bacon,  S.  E.,  Erie,  Erie  Co.,  Pa. 

Bangs,  Outram,  240  Beacon  st.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Behr,  Otto,  Lopez,  Sullivan  Co.,  Pa. 

Bennett,  Richard,  Eaglesmere,  Sullivan  Co.,  Pa. 

Bisbing,  Randall,  Minsi,  Monroe  Co.,  Pa. 

Buckalew,  John  M.,  Fishing  Creek,  Columbia  Co.,  Pa. 

Campbell,  E.  W.,  Pittston,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa. 

Chambers,  J.  B.,  Mifflinburg,  Union  Co.,  Pa. 

Chew,  Miss  Ivy,  Chew's  Landing,  Gloucester  Co.,  N.  J. 

Clay,  A.  A.,  Rasselas,  Elk  Co.,  Pa. 

Cleveland,  J.  E.,  Canton,  Bradford  Co.,  Pa.  * 

Coffin,  Bodine,  May's  Landing,  Atlantic  Co.,  N.  J. 

Crawford,  W.  B.,  Chambersburg,  Franklin  Co.,  Pa. 

Davidson,  Alvin,  Campus,  Easton,  Northampton  Co.,  Pa. 

Day,  Geo.  N.,  Dyberry,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa. 

Dorworth,  H.  C.,  Oil  City,  Venango  Co.,  Pa. 

Dickeson,  W.  C.,  Colegrove,  McKean  Co.,  Pa. 


CORRESPONDENTS   WHOSE  NAMES   APPEAR   IN   THIS   WORK.  251 

Dickinson,  C.  W.,  Smethport,  McKean  Co.,  Pa. 

Edinger,  James,  Stroudsburg,  Monroe  Co.,  Pa. 

Evans,  William  B.,  Moorestown,  Burlington  Co.,  N.  J. 

Fernald,  H.  T..  Amherst,  Mass. 

Fenton,  T.  J.,  Jamestown,  N.  Y. 

Friant,  Geo.  P.,  Scranton,  Lackawanna  Co.,  Pa. 

Fry,  Mrs.  Norman,  Laughlintown,  Westmoreland  Co.,  Pa. 

Gifford,  John,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Goodnough,  L.  N.,  Rileyville,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa. 

Grinnell,  Geo.  B.,  Broadway,  N.  York  City. 

Haines,  George,  Medford,  Burlington  Co.,  N.  J.  (deceased) 

Hand,  H.  Walker,  Cape  May,  C.  May  Co.,  N.  J. 

Haslet,  S.  H.,  Tionesta,  Forest  Co.,  Pa. 

Ingersoll,  J.  C.,  of  Maryland  (deceased). 

Irwin,  Sam'l  D.,  Tionesta,  Forest  Co.,  Pa. 

Jillson  ("Brothers"),  Tuckerton,  Ocean  Co.,  N.  J. 

Kellew,  John,  Carley  Brook,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa. 

Kirkpatrick,  H.  C.,  Meadville,  Crawford  Co.,  Pa. 

Larrabee,  W.  W.,  Emporium,  Clinton  Co.,  Pa. 

Lee,  Francis  B.,  Trenton,  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J. 

Linton,  Edward,  Washington,  Washington  Co.,  Pa. 

Luhr,  Charles,  St.  Marys,  Elk  Co.,  Pa. 

McGuigan,  S.,  Port  Mercer,  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J. 

McHenry,  W.  E.,  Cambria  Iron  Works,  Johnstown,  Cambria  Co.,  Pa. 

Mercer,  H.  C.  Doylestown,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

Merriam,  C.  Hart,  Dept.  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Mier,  Samuel,  Elk  Lick,  Somerset  Co.,  Pa. 

Miller,  Gerrit  S.,  Jr.,  National  Museum,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Miller,  W.  D.  W.,  Plainfield,  Union  Co.,  N.  J. 

Moore,  Henry  D.,  New  Lexington,  Somerset  Co.,  Pa. 

Nease,  Jas.  S.,  Washington,  Washington  Co.,  Pa. 

Nelson,  Julius,  Rutgers  College,  N.  Brunswick,  N.  J. 

Nelson,  Seth  Iredale  (Sr.),  Round  Island,  Clinton  Co.,  Pa. 

Nelson,  Seth  (Jr.),  Round  Island,  Clinton  Co.,  Pa. 

Nelson,  William,  Paterson,  Essex  Co.,  N.  J. 

Parker,  L.  E.,  Pennsdale,  Lycoming  Co.,  Pa. 

Pfoutz,  C.  C.,  Farrandsville,  Clinton  Co.,  Pa. 

Pharo,  M.  W.,  Haddonfield,  Camden  Co.,  N/J. 

Phillips,  A.  L.,  Princeton,  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J. 

Preble,  E.  W.,  Dept.  Agric.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Putnam,  F.  W.,  Peabody  Museum,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

Price,  T.  P.,  Tuckerton,  Ocean  Co.,  N.  J. 


252  CORRESPONDENTS   WHOSE   NAMES   APPEAR   IN  THIS   WORK. 

Ray,  David,  Lawrence  Sta.,  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J. 

Rehn,  J.  A.  G.,  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Robinson,  Alva  T.,  Forkston,  Wyoming  Co.,  Pa. 

Roddy,  Justin,  Millersville,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa. 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  White  House,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Rothrock,  J.  T.,  West  Chester,  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 

Savage,  Jas.,  Buffalo,  New  York. 

Scott,  W.  E.  D.,  Princeton,  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J. 

Shields,  H.  A.,  Johnstown,  Cambria  Co.,  Pa. 

Silvester,  C.  F..  Princeton  Univ.,  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J. 

Stevens,  G.  D.,  Maplewood,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa. 

Stocker,  J.  E.,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa. 

Stone,  Witmer,  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Strealy,  M.  W.,  Chambersburg,  Franklin  Co.,  Pa. 

Strickland,  Charles,  Blairstown,  Warren  Co.,  N.  J. 

Teeple,  Elijah,  Lookout,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa. 

Todd,  W.  E.  C.,  Carnegie  Mus.,  Pittsburg,  Alleghany  Co.,  Pa. 

True,  F.  W.,  National  Museum,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Valiant,  W.  S.,  Rutgers  Museum,  N.  Brunswick,  N.  J. 

Van  Note,  G.  H.,  Barnegat,  Atlantic  Co.,  N.  J. 

Von  Lengerke,  J.,  Broadway,  N.  York  City. 

Williams,  Walter,  Greenwich,  Cumberland  Co.,  N.  J. 

Warren,  B.  H.,  West  Chester,  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 

Zendel,  Christopher,  Newtown  Mills,  Forest  Co.,  Pa. 


THE  END. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Aceratherium  matutinum,  236 
acuto-rostrata,  Balaenoptera,  u, 
acutus,  Lagenorhynchus,  224 
Agabelus  porcatus,  248 
Agaphelus  gibbosus,  12 
albibarbis  Neosorex,  191 

Sorex,  191 

"       palustris,  191 
Alces  americanus,  224 

scotti,  240 
Allegheny  Cave  Rat,  85,  243 

Cottontail  or  Rabbit,  121 

Cougar,  Panther,  126 
Alleghenian  Least  Weasel,  1 73 

Varying  Hare,  118 
allegheniensis,  Putorius,  173 
American  Badger,  231 

Bison,  47,  239 

Sable,  176 
americana,  Alces,  224,  240 

Mustela,  176 

Ursus,  183,  228 
americanus,  Alces,  240 

Bison,  239 

borealis,  Odocoileus,  24,  26 

canadensis,  Sitomys,  77 

Cervalces,  240 

Cervus,  240 

"        dama,  24 

Elephas,  234 

fossilis,  Tapirus,  236 

Mastodon,  234 

Meriones,  in 

Odocoileus,  24,  241 

virginianus,  Lepus,  118 
Ammodon  leidyanum,  237 
ampullatus,  Balaena,  16 

Hyperoodon,  16 
Anaptogonia  hiatidens,  244 

clovacinum,  244 


Anchippodus  riparius,  233 
antiquus,  Dicotyles,  238 

Perchcerus,  239 

Physeter,  248 

vetus,  Physeter,  248 

Thinohyus,  239 
Appalachian  Cave  Bear,  228 

Gray  or  Timber  Wolf,  148,228 

Musk  Ox,  239 

Porcupine,  242 

Rhinoceros,  236 
appalachicolus,  Bison,  239 

Ovibos,  239 
aquaticus,  Scalops,  198,  227 

Sorex,  198 
Arctomys,  genus,  63 

franklini,  221 

monax,  63,  243 

"       canadensis,  66 
aries,  Ovis,  217 
Arvicola  didelta,  245 

gapperi,  92 

hiatidens,  244 

involuta,  245 

riparius,  244 

scalapsoides,  101 

sigmodus,  245' 

speothen,  244 

tetradelta,  244 
atlanticus,  Macrophoca,  247 

Squalodon,  247 

B. 

Badger,  American,  231 
Balsena  ampullatus,  16 

cisarctica,  10 

genus,  10 

glacialis,  10,  12 

musculus,  13 

mysticetus,  n 

nodosa,  14 

(253) 


254 


Balsena  physalus,  12 
Balaenidae,  10 
Balaenoptera,  genus,  1 1 

acuto-rostrata,  n,  14 

musculus,  13 

physalus,  12,  13 
Baleen,  10 

Whales,  10,  12 
Barren  Ground  Caribou,  241 
Barton's  Zapus,  no 
Bats,  207,  227 
Bat,  Big-eared,  226 

Georgia  Pigmy,  210 

Hoary,  214 

House,  212,  227 

Leconte's  Little  Brown,  207 

Northeastern  Large  Brown,  212, 
227 

Northern  Red,  213 

Rafinesque's  Little  Brown,  215 

Say's,  208,  227 

Silvery  Black,  210 

Tree,  213 

Batchelder's  Shrew,  226 
Bay  Lynx,  Eastern,  141 
Beaked  Whale,  Cuvier's,  16 
Bears,  4,  5,  183,  228 
Bear,  Appalachian  Cave,  228 

Black,  183,  228 

Cave,  5 
Beaver,  5,  67,  243 

American,  243 

Canada,  67,  223 

Giant,  5 

Great  Fossil,  245 

Southeastern, -73 
bidens,  Mesoplodon,  17 

Physeter,  17 
Big  Water  Shrew,  191 
Biserrate  Squalodon,  247 
Bison,  5,  47,  239 

American,  47,  239 

americanus,  239 

appalachicolus,  239 

bison,  47,  239 

genus,  47 

latifrons,  239 
Blackfish,  Northern,  21 
Black  Whale,  10 
Bladder-nose  Seal.  126 
Blarina,  genus,  192 


Blarina  brevicauda,  192,  193 

carolinensis,  193 

parva,  196 

simplicidens,  227 
Blue  Whale,  Great,  13 
Bonaparte's  Weasel,  158 
boops,  Megaptera,  14 
borealis,  Lasiurus,  213 

Odocoilus  americanus,  24,  26 

Vespertilio,  213 
Bos,  239 

bison,  47 

moschatus,  239 

taurus,  217 

Bottled-nosed  or  Beaked  Whale,  16 
Bottle-nose  Dolphin,  17 
Bovidse,  47,  239 

brachyptera,  Globicephala,  21,22 
brevicauda,  Blarina,  192,  193 

Sorex,  193 
breviceps,  Kogia,  15 

Physeter,  15 
breweri,  Parascalops,  204 

Scalops,  204 
Brewer's  Mole,  204 
Buffalo,  47 

c. 

caballus,  Equus,  217 
calcaratus,  Lynx,  232 
calycinus,  Sciurus,  242 
Cameloid  Deer,  Cope's,  240 
Canada  Beaver,  67 
Canadian  Flying  Squirrel,  225 

Lynx,  East,  136 

Chickaree,  52 
canadensis,  Arctomys  monax,  66 

carolinensis,  Castor,  73 

Castor,  67,  223,  243 

Cervus,  29,  241 

"       elaphus,  29,  39 

Felis,  232 

Glis,  66 

Lutra,  156 

"      lataxina,  162 

latra,  Mnstela,  156 

Lynx,  136,  232 

nubiterrse,  Peromyscus,  79 

Peromyscus,  7  7 

Sitomys  americanus,  77 


INDEX. 


255 


Canidse,  143,  228 
Cams,  genus,  148 

cinereoargenteus,  143 

familiaris,  220 

fulvus,  145 

lupus,  228 

mexicanus,  223 

"          nubilus,  148,  228 

nubilus,  148 

priscolatrans,  228 
Carcajou,  164 
Cariacus  laevicornis,  242 

virginianus,  241 
Caribou,  6,  241 

Barren  Ground,  241 

Rangifer,  241 

Woodland,  241 
Carnivores,  5,  127,  228 
Carolina  Gray  Squirrel,  52,  242 
carolinensis,  Blarina,  193 

Castor  canadensis.  73 

leucotis,  Sciurus,  52 

Sciurus,  52,  242 
Castor,  genus,  67 

canadensis,  67,  223,  243 
"  carolinensis,  73 

fiber,  243 

zibethicus,  104 
Castoridse,  67,  243,  245 
Castoroides  ohioensis,  245 
Cat,  Domestic,  220 

Eyra,  232 

Fossil  American  Wild,  232 

Sabre-toothed,  5,  6 

Wild,  4,  5,  141 
Catodon  vetus,  248 
Cattle,  217 
Cave  Bear,  5 

Rat,  Allegheny,  85,  243 
carvirostris,  Ziphius,  16 
Cervalces  americanus,  240 
Cervidae,  24 
Cervus,  Genus,  29,  241 

americanus,  240 

canadensis,  29,  241 

dama  americanus,  24 

elaphus  canadensis,  29 

tarandus,  241 

virginianus,  241 
Cetacea,  4,  5,  10,  247 
Chickaree  (Canadian),  56 


Chickaree,  Cope's  Fossil,  242 

Southeastern,  57 
Chipmunk,  Eastern,  242 

Northeastern,  61 

Southeastern,  61 
Chiroptera,  207,  227 
cicognani,  Mustela,  168 

Putorius,  1 68 
cinereoargenteus,  Canis,  143 

Urocyon,  143,  229 
cinereus,  Lasiurus,  214 

Vespertilio,  214 
cisarctica,  Balsena,  10 
Citellus  franklini,  221 
cloacinum,  Anaptogonia,  244 

Erethizon,  242 

Sycium,  244 
Cloudland  Deer  Mouse,  79 
clymene,  Delphinus,  19 
ccelospondylus,  Ixacanthus,  248 
Common  Dolphin,  18 

Porpoise,  17 

Weasel,  170 
communis,  Phocaena,  2 i 
Complicate  Fossil  Horse,  237 
complicates,  Equus,  237 
concolor,  Felis,  134 
Condylura  genus,  206 

cristata,  206 
Coons,  4,  182 
Cooper's  Lemming,  106 
cooperi,  Synaptomys,  106 

stonei,  Synaptomys,  106 
Cope's  Cameloid  Deer,  240 

.Fossil  Chickaree,  242 
"     Peccary,  238 
"     Pika,  246 

Lesser  Ground  Sloth,  249 
Corynorhinus  macrotis,  226 
Cougar,  5,  127 
couguar,  Felis,  127 
Cow  Fish  (or)  Grampus,  21 
Cowfish  (or)  Sowerby's  Whale,  1 7 
Coyote,  Fossil,  228 
crassidens,  Pseudorca,  223 
cristata,  Condylura,  206 
Crystophora,  126 
Phoca,  126 
Sorex,  206 

Crocuta  inexpectata,  232 
Cuvier's  Beaked  Whale,  16 


256 


Cystophora,  genus,  126 
cristata,  126 

D. 

Deer,  5,  24,  241,  242,  243 

Cope's  Cameloid,  240 

Northern  Virginia,  26 

Slender  Horned  Fossil,  242 

Virginia,  24,  241 
Deer-Mouse,  Canada,  2 

Cloudland,  79 

Fisher's,  8 1 

Golden,  225 

Miller's,  77 

Rafinesque's,  79,  243 
Delphinapterus  hawkinsii,  247 

lacertosus,  247 
Delphinidae,  17 
Delphinus,  genus,  18 

clymene,  19 

delphis,  1 8 

erebennus,  18 

griseus,  21 

melas,  21 

orca,  23 

phocaena,  20 

plagiodon,  19 

tursio,  17* 

delphis,  Delphinus,  18 
Dicolyles  antiquus,  238 

nasutus,  238 

pennsylvanicus,  238 
Didelphidae,  8 
Didelphis,  genus,  8 

virginiana,  8 
didelta,  Arvicola,  245 

microtus,  245 
Diluvian  Vole,  244 
diluvianus,  Microtus,  244 
Dipodidae,  109 
Dipus  hudsonius,  109 
dissimilis,  Megalonyx,  249 
Dog,  Domestic  or  Indian,  220 
Dolphins,  4,  5,  8,  247 
Dolphin,  Bottle-nose,  17 

Common,  18 

Harlan's  Sword,  247 

Ixacanth  Sword,  248 

Lacertine  Sword,  247 

Porcate  Sword,  248 


Dolphin,  Shark- toothed,  6 

Spotted,  19 

Striped,  224 

Urean,  247 
domesticus,  Felis,  220 
doris,  Prodelphinus,  20 
dorsata,  Erethizon,  114,  242 

Hystrix,  114 
Dugongidse,  246 
Dugong,  Great  Extinct,  246 
Dugongs,  5,  241 

E. 

East  American  Black  Bear,  183 
Eastern  Bay  Lynx,  141 

Hairy-tail  Mole,  204 

Marsh  Shrew,  191 

Masked  Shrew,  189 

Moose,  224 

Naked-tail  mole,  198,  227 

Prairie  Cotton-tail,  122,  223 

Wapiti,  29 
Edentates,  5,  249 
effodiens,  Hemicaulodon,  246 
elaphus,  Cervus,  39 
Elephant,  5,  234 
Elephantidse,  234 
Elephas  americanus,  234 
Elk,  5,  29,  241 
Elotherium  leidyanum,  237 
Eptesicus,  genus,  212 

fuscus,  212,  227 
Equus  caballus,  2 1 7 

complicatus,  237 

fraternus,  237 

"         pectinatus,  237 

major,  237 

pectinatus,  237 
erebennus,  Delphinus,  18 
Erethizon,  genus,  1 14 

cloacinum,  242 

dorsatum,  114,  242 
Erethizontidse,  114,  242 
euphrosyne,  Prodelphinus,  19 
europseus,  Lepus,  220 
Evotomys,  genus,  92 

gapped, 92 

"       rhoadsi,  94 
Eyra  Cat,  232 
eyra,  Felis,  232 


257 


Extinct  Species,  5,  6,  227 


familiaris,  Canis,  220 
Fauna,  Arctic,  3,  6 

Austral,  3 

Boreal,  3 

Canadian,  3 

Hudsonian,  3 

Transition,  3 

Tropical,  3 

Faunal  Areas  or  Life  Zones,  3 
Felidae,  127,  231 
Felis,  genus,  127 

canadensis,  232 

concolor,  134 

couguar,  127 

domesticus,  220 

eyra,  232 

hippolestes,  134 

inexpectatus,  232 

ruffus,  141 
Ferae,  127,  228 
Fiber,  genus,  104 

zibethicus,  104,  245 

Castor,  243 
Fin-Back,  u,  12 

Great,  12 

Least,  1 1 

Finfisch,  Martens',  13 
Fischer's  Deer  Mouse,  81 
Fisher,  2,  179 

fisheri,  Sorex  longirostris,  226 
Fisher's  Shrew,  226 
floridana,  Neotoma,  243 
floridanus  mearnsi,  Lepus,  223,  122 

mallurus,  122,  246 

transitionalis,  Lepus,  121 
Flying  Squirrel,  Virginia,  66 
fossidens,  Mephitis,  230 
Fossil  American  Marten,  229 

Wild  Cat,  232 

Atlantic  Walrus,  233 

Beaver,  Great,  245 

Chickaree,  Cope's,  242 

Coyote,  228 

Deer,  Slender  Horned,  242 

Horse,  Complicate,  237 
"      Pectinate,  237 

Mammals,  5,  6,  227 


Fossil  Mole  Shrew,  227 
Moose,  Scott's,  240 
Otter,  American,  231 
Peccary,  Cope's,  238 

"        Long  snouted,  238 
"        Marsh's,  238 
"        Pennsylvania,  238 
Pig,  Leidy's,  237 
Pika,  Cope's,  246 
Pine  Vole,  245 
Puma,  232 
Red  Fox,  229 
Sea  Leopard,  233 
Skunk,  Intermediate,  230 
"      Pigmy,  230 

Pitted-tooth,  230 
"      Slender-jawed,  230 
Tapir,  Hay's,  236 

"       Marsh's,  236 
Vole,  Involute,  245 
"     Isodeltan,  244 
Weasel,  Great,  231 
fossilis,  Tapirus  americanus,  236 
Foxes,  4,  5,  143 
Fox,  European  Red,  221 
Fossil  Red,  229 
Northeastern  Gray,  143,  228 
Southeastern  Red,  143 
Squirrel,  Western,  57 

"        Northeastern,  58 
franklini,  Arctomys,  221 
Citellus,  221 
Spermophilus,  222 
Franklin's  Spermophile,  221 
fraternus,  Equus,  237 

pectinatus,  Equus,  237 
frontata,  Mephitis,  230 
fulvus,  Canis,  145 
Vulpes,  145 
i  fumeus,  Sorex,  190 
fuscus,  Eptesicus,  212,  227 
Vespertilio,  212,  227 

G. 

gapperi,  Evotomys,  92 

Arvicola,  92 

rhoadsi,  Evotomys,  94 
Capper's  Wood  Vole,  92 
Georgia  Pigmy  Bat,  210 
gibbosus,  Agaphelus,  12 


258 


glacialis,  Balsena,  10 
Glires,  52,  242 
Glis  canadensis,  66 
Globicephala  brachyptera,  21,  22 

melas,  21,  22 

scammoni,  22 
Glutton,  164 
Gopher,  Gray,  221 
gossypinus,  Peromyscus,  80 
gracilis,  Machaerodus,  231 

Smilodon,  231 
Grampus,  12,  21,  223 

griseus,  21 

grandsevus,  Priscodelphinus,  247 
Gray  Fox,  Northeastern,  143,  229 
Gray  Wolf,  148 
Great  Blue  Whale,  13 
griseus,  Grampus,  21 
grcenlandica,  Phoca,  125 
grcenlandicus,  Rangifer,  241 
Ground  Hog,  Northeastern,  66 

Southeastern,  63 
Ground  Squirrel,  61,  221 
Gulo,  genus,  164 

luscus,  164,  165,  229 
gymnicus,  Sciurus  hudsonius,  56 

H. 

haplodon,  Ursus,  228 
Harbor  Porpoise,  20 

Seal,  123 
Hare,  118 

Alleghenian,  Varying,  118 

European  or  Belgian,  220 

Northern,  2 
harlani,  Mylodon,  249 

Priscodelphinus,  247 
Harlan's  Ground  Sloth,  249 

Sword  Dolphin,  247 

Water  Rat  or  Mouse,  81 
Harp  Seal,  125 

hawkinsii,  Pelphinapterus,  247 
Hay's  Fossil  Tapir,  236 
haysii,  Tapirus,  236 
Hedgehog,  114 
Hemicaulodon  effodiens,  246 
Herring  Hog,  20 
Hesperomys  leucopus,  243 
hiatidens,  Anaptagonia,  244 

Arvicola,  244 


hippolestes,  Felis,  134 
Hoary  Bat,  214 
Hooded  Seal,  126 
Hoofed  Mammals,  24 
Horse,  5,  217,  237 

Complicate  Fossil,  237 

Pectinate  Fossil,  237 
House  Bat,  212 
Hoy's  Shrew,  226 
hoyi,  Sorex,  226 
Hudson  Bay  Zapus,  106 
hudsonius,  Dipus,  109 

gymnicus,  Sciurus,  56 

loquax,  Sciurus,  57 

Jaculus,  245 

Zapus,  109,  245 
humeralis,  Nycticeius,  215 

Vespertilio,  215 

Humpback  Whale,  New  England,  14 
Hyperoodon,  genus,  16 

ampullatus,  16 
Hystrix  dorsata,  114 

I. 

impiger,  Reithrodontomysleconti,  225 
inexpectata,  Felis,  232 

Crocuta,  232 

Uncia,  232 
Insectivora,  189,  227 
insignis,  Zapus,  113 
involuta,  Arvicola,  245 

Microtus,  245 
Involute  Fossil  Vole,  245 
Isodeltan  Fossil  Vole,  244 
Ixacanth  Sword  Dolphin,  248 
Ixacanthus  coelospondylus,  248 

J. 

Jaculus  hudsonius,  245 

Jumping  Mouse,  Meadow,  109,  no 
"       Miller's,  113 
"       Woodland,  2 

K. 

Killer,  Black,  223 

White-Bellied,  23 
Kogia,  genus,  15 

breviceps,  15 


INDEX. 


259 


L. 


Lacertine  Sword  Dolphin,  247 
lacertosus,  Dephinapterus,  247 

Priscodelphinus,  247,  248 
Isevicornis,  Cariacus,  242 

Odocoileus,  242 
Lagenorhynchus  acutus,  224 
Lasionycteris  noctivagans,  210 
Lasiurus,  genus,  213 

borealis,  213 

cinereus,  214 
lataxina,  Lutra,  162 

"       canadensis,  162 
latidentatus,  Vulpes,  229 
latifrons,  Bison,  239 
Least  Mole  Shrew,  196 

Rorqual,  T  i 

Leconte's  Little  Brown  Bat,  207 
leconti  impiger,  Reithrodontomys,  225 
leidyanum,  Ammodon,  238 

Elotherium,  237 
Leidy's  Fossil  Pig,  237 

Platygone  Peccary,  239 

Sperm  Whale,  248 
Lemming,  Cooper's,  106 

Stone's,  1 06 
Leporidae,  118,  246 
leptops,  Mephitis,  230 
Lepus,  genus,  118 

americanus  virginianus,  118 

europaeus,  220 

floridanus  mallurus,  122,  246 
"  mearnsi,  122,  223 
"  transitionalis,  121 

nuttalli  mallurus,  122 

sylvaticus  mearnsi,  122 

"         transitionalis,  121 

virginianus,  118 
Lesser  Weasel,  168 
lesueuri,  Sorex  personatus,  226 
Lesueur's  Shrew,  226 
leucopus,  Hesperomys,  243 

Musculus,  79 

novoboracensis,  Peromyscus,  81 

nubiterrae,  Peromyscus,  79 

Peromyscus,  79,  243 
leucotis,  Sciurus,  52 

"        carolinensis,  52 
Life  Zones,  3 
lineata,  Phocaena,  20 


Little  Piked  Whale,  1 1 
lobulatus,  Pelycictis,  230 
Lagomys  palatinus,  246 
longirostris  fisheri,  Sorex,  226 
Long-tailed  Mole,  206 

Weasel,  170 
Lophiodon  validus,  236 
Iqquax,  Sciurus  hudsonius,  57 
lotor,  Procycn,  182,  228 

Ursus,  182 

Lowland  Cottontail  Rabbit,  122 
loxodon,  Megalonyx,  249 
Loxodont  Ground  Sloth,  249 
lucifugus,  Myotis,  207 

Vespertilio,  207 
luscus,  Gulo,  164,  165,  229 

Ursus,  164 
lupus,  Canis,  228 
Lutra,  genus,  156 

canadensis,  156,  157 
"  mustela,  156 

lataxina,  162 

lataxina,  156 

rhoadsii,  231 
lutreocephalus,  Mustela,  167 

Pu  tori  us  vison,  167 
Lynx,  genus,  136 

calcaratus,  232 

Canada,  2,  5,  232 

canadensis,  136,  232 

East  Canadian,  136,  232 

Eastern  Bay,  141 

ruffus,  136,  141,  232 
lysteri,  Sciurus  (Tamias),  61 

Tamias  striatus,  6 1 

M. 

Machaerodus  gracilis,  231 

merceri,  232 

macrocephalus,  Physeter,  14 
Macrophoca  atlanticus,  247 
macrotis,  Corynorhinus,  226 

Sciuropterus  sabrinus,  225 
Macroxus  neglectus,  58 
magister,  Neotoma,  85,  243 
major,  Equus,  237 
mallurus,  Lepus  floridanus,  122,  246 

"      nuttalli,  122 
Mammals,  Existing,  5,  6 

Extinct,  5,  6 


260 


Mammals,  Fossil,  5,  6 

Recent,  5,  6,  8 
Mammut  americanus,  234 

ohioticum,  234 
Manatus  sp.,  5,  246 
Marmot,  Maryland,  243 
Marsh  or  Rice  Rat,  Northern,  81 
Marsh's  Fossil  Peccary,  238 

"      Tapir,  236 
Marsupialia,  8 
Marsupials,  8 
Marten,  2,  176,  229 

Fossil  American,  229 

Pennant's,  179 

Southeastern,  176 
Marten's  "  Finfisch,"  13 
Mastodon,  6,  234 

americanus,  234 

•Ohioan,  234 
matutinum,  Aceratherium,  236 

Rhinoceros,  236 
mearnsi,  Lepus  floridanus,  T22,  223 

"        sylvaticus,  122 
Megaptera,  genus,  14 

boops,  n,  14 

nodosa,  14 

osphyia,  14 
Megalonyx  dissimilis,  249 

loxodon,  249 

scalper,  250 

sphenodon,  249 

tortulus,  249 

wheatleyi,  249 
melas,  Delphinus,  21 

Globicephalus,  21,  22 
Mephitis,  genus,  163 

fossidens,  230 

frontata,  230 

leptops,  230 

mephitica,  230 

mephitis  putida,  163,  230 

obtusatus,  230 

orthostichus,  230 

putida,  163 
merceri,  Machserodus,  232 

Uncia,  232 

Mercer's  Sabre-tooth  Tiger,  232 
Meriones  americanus,  1 1 1 
Mesoplodon,  genus,  17 

bidens,  17 
mexicanus,  Canis,  223 


mexicanus,  nubilus,  Canis,  148,  228 
Mice,  77,  243 
Microtus,  genus,  97 

diluvianus,  244 

dideltus,  245 

involutus,  245 

pennsylvanicus,  97,  107,  244 

pinetorum,  4 

"  scalapsoides,  101 

speothen,  244 

Miller's  Jumping  Mouse,  112 
Minks,  4,  167 
Mink,  Northeastern,  167 

Southeastern,  167 
missouriensis,  Mylodon,  249 

Oryctotherium,  249 
Mole,  4,  198,  204,  227 

Brewer's,  204 

Common,  198 

Eastern  Hairy  Tail,  204 

"        Naked  Tail,  198,  227 

Long-tailed.  206 

Star-nose,  206 

Swamp,  206 

Shrew,  Fossil,  227 
"       Least,  196 
"       Northeastern,  192 
Monax,  Arctomys,  63,  243 

canadensis,  Arctomys,  66 

Musty,  63 
Moose,  6,  224,  240 

East  American,  240 

Eastern,  224 

Scott's  Fossil,  240 
moschatus,  Bos,  239 

Ovibos,  239 
Mouse,  Canada  Deer,  2 

Cloudland  Deer,  79 

Fischer's  Deer,  8 1 

Golden  Deer,  225 

Harvest,  225 

Miller's  Deer,  77 

Rafmesque's  Deer,  79,  243 

Common  Meadow,  97 

House,  218 

Meadow,  97 

"         Jumping,  109,  no 

Miller's  Jumping,  113 

Woodland  Jumping,  2 

Mole,  4,  10 1 

Red  Back,  92,  94 


26l 


Mouse,  Virginia  Harvest,  225 

Wood,  7 
Muridae,  77,  243 
Mus  monax,  63 

musculus,  218 

norvegicus,  218 

palustris,  81 

pinetorum,  97 

rattus,  218 

sylvaticus  noveboracensis,  81 

volans,  6,  7 
musculus,  Balaenoptera,  13 

Balaena,  13 

leucopus,  79 

mus,  2,  1 8 
Musk  Ox,  6,  239 

"     Appalachian,  239 
Muskrat,  4,  204,  245 

Eastern,  245 

Southeastern,  104 
Mustela,  genus,  176 

americana,  176 

cicognani,  168 

diluviana,  229 

lutra  canadensis,  156 

lutreocephala,  167 

pennanti,  179 

putida,  163 

vison,  167 

Mustelidse,  156,  229 
Mylodon  harlani,  249 

missouriensis,  249 
Mylohylus  nasutus,  238 

pennsylvanicus,  238 

tetragonus,  238 
Myotis,  genus,  207 

lucifugus,  207,  227 

subulatus,  208,  227 
mysticetus,  Balsena,  n 

N. 
nasutus.  Dicotyles,  238 

Mylohyus,  238 
neglectus,  Macroxus,  58 

Sciurus  rufiventer,  58 
Neotoma,  genus,  85 

floridana,  243 

magister,  85,  243 

pennsylvanica,  85,  86 
Neosorex,  albibarbis,  191 


New  England  Humpback  Whale,  14 
New  Jersey  Wood  Vole,  94 
New  York  Pigmy  Bat,  211 
New  York  Weasel,  170,  229 
noctivagans,  Lasionycteris,  210 

Vespertilio,  210 
nodosa,  Balsena,  14 

Megaptera,  14 
Northeastern  or  Canada  Beaver,  67 

Chipmunk,  61 

Fox  Squirrel,  58 

Gray  Fox,  143 

Large  Brown  Bat,  212 

Mink,  167 

Mole  Shrew,  192 

Otter,  156 
,     Racoon,  182 

Woodchuck,  66 
Northern  Blackfish,  21 

Gray  or  Black  Squirrel,  52 

Red  Bat,  213 

Rice  or  Marsh  Rat,  81 

Virginia  Deer,  26 
norvegicus,  Mus,  2 1 8 
noveboracensis,  Mus  sylvaticus,  81 

Peromyscus  leucopus,  80,  81 

Putorius,  170,  229 
nubilus,  Canis,  148 

"       mexicanus,  148,  228 
nubiterrse,  Peromyscus  canadensis,  79 
nuttalli,  mallurus,  Lepus,  122 

Peromyscus,  79,  225 
Nycticeius,  genus,  213,  215 

humeralis,  215 

o. 

obscurus,  Pipistrellus  subflavus,  211 
obtusatus,  Mephitis,  230 
Ochotona  palatinus,  246 
Odocoileus,  genus,  24,  241 

americanus,  24,  241 

"          borealis,  24,  26 

laevicornis,  242 
Ogmorhinus  vetus,  233 
Ohioan  Mastodon,  234 
ohioensis,  Castoroides,  245 
ohioticum,  Mammut,  234 

Mastodon,  234 
Opossum,  Virginia,  8 
orca,  Delphinus,  23 


262 


INDEX. 


Orcinus,  genus,  23 

orca,  23 

orientalis,  Teleopternus,  240 
orthostichus,  Mephitis,  230 
Oryctotherium  missouriense,  249 
Oryzomys,  genus,  81 

palustris,  81 

Osmotherian  Skunk,  230 
Osmotherium  spelaeum,  230 
osphyia,  Megaptera,  14 
Otter,  5,  156,  229 

American  Fossil,  231 

Northeastern,  156 

Southeastern,  162 
Ovibos  (Bootherium)  appalachicolus, 

239 

moschatus,  239 
Ovis  aries,  217 
Oxen,  5 
Ox,  Musk,  6,  239 

P. 

palatinum,  Lagomys,  246 

Praotherium,  246 
palatinus,  Ochotona,  246 
palustris  albibarbis,  Sorex,  191 

Mus,  8 1 

Oryzomys,  81 
Panther,  5,  127 

Alleghenian  Cougar  or,  127 
Parascalops,  genus,  204 

breweri,  204 
parva,  Blarina,  196 
parvus,  Sorex,  196 
Peccary,  5,  6,  238 

Cope's  Fossil,  238 

Long-snouted  Fossil,  238 

Marsh's  Fossil,  238 

Pennsylvania  Fossil,  238 

Leidy's  Platygone,  239 
pectinatus,  Equus,  237 

"       fraternus,  237 
Pekan,  179 

Pelycictis  lobulatus,  231 
pennanti,  Mustela,  179 
Pennant's  Marten,  179 
Pennsylvania  Meadow  Vole,  97 
pennsylvanicus,  Dicotyles,  238 

Microtus,  97,  244 

Mus,  97 


pennsylvanicus  Mylohyus,  238 
pennsylvanica,  Neotoma,  85,  86 
Perchcerus  antiquus,  239 
Peromyscus,  genus,  7  7 

canadensis,  77 

"          nubiterrse,  79 

gossypinus,  80 

leucopus,  79,  243 

"         noveboracensis,  80,  81 
"         nubiterrae,  79 

nuttali,  79,  225 
personatus,  Sorex,  189 

lesueuri,  Sorex,  226 
Phoca,  genus,  123 

cristata,  126 

grcenlandica,  125 

vitulina,  123 
Phocasna,  genus,  20 

communis,  21 

lineata,  20 

phocaena,  20 
phocaena  Delphinus,  20 

Phocaena,  20 
Phocidae,  123,  233 
Physeter,  genus,  14,  248 

antiquus,  248 

"         vetus,  248 

bidens,  17 

breviceps,  15 

macrocephalus,  14 

vetus,  248 
Physeteridae,  14 
Pig,  Leidy's  Fossil,  237 
Pigmy  Sperm  Whale,  15 
Pika,  5,  246 

Cope's  Fossil,  246 
Piked  Whale,  n 
Pilot  Whale,  21 
Pine  Squirrel,  56 

pinetorum  scalopsoides,  Microtus,  101 
Pinnipedia,  123,  233 
Pinnipeds,  5,  123,  233 
Pipistrellus,  genus,  210 

subflavus,  210,211 

"         obscurus,  211 
plagiodon,  Prodelphinus,  19 
Plantanistidae,  247 
Platigonus  vetus,  239 
Pleistocene,  6 

Porcate  Sword  Dolphin,  247 
porcatus,  Agabelus,  247 


INDEX. 


263 


Porcupine,  Appalachian,  242 

Canada,  114 
Porpoise,  Common,  17 

Harbor,  20 

Ring-eyed,  18 

Skunk,  224 
Post  Pleiocene,  6 
Prairie  Cottontail,  Eastern,  122 
Praotherium  palatinum,  246 
Priscodelphinus  grandaevus,  247 

harlani,  247 

lacertosus,  247 

uraeus,  247 

priscolatrans,  Canis,  228 
Procyon,  genus,  182 

lotor,  182,  228 
Procyonidae,  182,  228 
Prodelphinus,  genus,  19 

doris,  20 

euphrosyne,  19 

plagiodon,  19 
Pseudorca  crassidens,  223 
Pughead  Whale,  16 
Puma,  Fossil,  232 
putida,  Mephitis  mephitis,  163 

Mustela,  163 
Putorius,  genus,  167 

allegheniensis,  173 

cicognani,  168 

noveboracebsis,  170,  229 

rixosus,  173 

vison,  167 

"      lutreocephalus,  167 

R. 

Rabbit,  118,  223,  246 

Alleghenian  Cottontail  or,  121 

Eastern  Prairie  Cottontail  or,  122, 
223 

Jack,  120 

Southeastern  or  T.owland  Cotton- 
tail, 122,  246 

White,  118 

Racoon,  Northeastern,  182,  228 
Rafinesque's  Deer  Mouse,  79,  243 

Little  Brown  Bat,  215 
Rangifer  Caribou,  241 

grcenlandicus,  241 
riparius,  Arvicola,  244 
Rat,  5,  8r,  243 


Rat,  Allegheny  Cave,  85,  243 

Black,  218 

Cave,  6,  85 

Northern  or  Marsh,  81 

Norway,  6,  218 
rattus,  Mus,  218 

Redback  Mouse  or  Wood  Vole,  92, 94 
Red  Fox,  Southeastern,  145 
Reithrodontomys  leconti  impiger,  225 
Rhinoceros,  5,  6,  236 

matutinum,  236 
Rhinocerotidae,  236 
rhoadsi,  Evotomys  gapperi,  92,  94 
rhoadsii,  Lutra,  231 
Right  Whale,  12 
Ring-Eyed  Porpoise,  18 
riparius,  Anchippodus,  233 
rixosus,  Putorius,  173 
Rodents,  5,  52,  242 
Rorqual,  Least,  n 
Rosmaridae,  233 
Rosmarus  virginianus,  233 
ruffus,  Felis,  141 

Lynx,  136,  141,  232 
rufi venter,  Sciurus,  57,  125 

neglectus,  58 

s. 

"Sable,"  American,  176 
sabrinus  macrotis,  Sciuropterus,  225 
Say's  Little  Brown  Bat,  208 
Scalops,  genus,  198 

aquaticus,  198,  227 

breweri,  204 
scalopsoides,  Microtus  pinetorum,  101 

Arvicola,  101 
scalper,  Meglonyx,  250 
scammoni,  Globiocephalus,  22 
Sciuridae,  52^242 
Sciuropterus,  genus,  66 

sabrinus  microtjis,  225 

volans,  66,  67 
Sciurus  calycinus,  242 

carolinensis,  52,  242 

"  leucotis,  52 

hudsonius  gymnicus,  56 
"          loquax,  57 

rufiventer,  57,  225 

"         neglectus,  58 

striatus,  61 


264 


Sciurus  (Tamias)  lysteri,  61 

scotti,  Alces,  240 

Scott's  Fossil  Moose,  240 

scrofa,  Sus,  217 

Sea  Dog,  123 

Sea  Leopard,  Fossil,  223 

Seal,  Harbor,  123 

Harp,  125 

Hooded,  126 
Sheep,  217 

Short-tailed  Weasel,  168 
Shrews,  4,  5,  189,  227 
Shrew,  Batchelder's,  226 

Eastern  Marsh,  191 
"       Masked,  189 

Fisher's,  226 

Hoy's,  226 

Lesueur's,  226 

Marsh,  2 

Smoky,  189 

Water,  191 

Fossil  Mole,  227 

Least  Mole,  196 

Northeastern  Mole,  192 
sigmodus,  Arvicola,  245 
Silvery  Black  Bat,  210 
simplicidens,  Blarina,  227 
Sirenians,  5,  6,  .246 
Sitomys  americanus  canadensis,  77 
Skunk,  4,  5,  156,  229 

Intermediate,  230 

Osmotherian,  230 

Pigmy  Fossil,  230 

Pitted-tooth  Fossil,  230 

Slender-jawed  Fossil,  230 

Southeastern,  163,  230 
Sloth,  Chisel-tooth  Ground,  250 

Cope's  Lesser  Ground,  249 

Diastemodont  Ground,  249 

Giant,  5,  6 

Harlan's  Ground,  249 

Loxodont  Ground,  249 

Wheatley's  Ground,  249 
Smilodon  gracilis,  231 

mercerii,  232 
Sorex,  genus,  189 

albibarbis,  191 

aquaticus,  198 

cristata,  206 

fumeus,  190 

hoyi,  226 


Sorex,  longirostris  fisheri,  226 

macrurus,  226 

palustris  albibarbis,  191 

parvus,  "196 

personatus,  189 

lesueuri,  226 

talpoides,  195 
Soricidse,  189,  227 
Southeastern  Beaver,  73 

Chickaree,  57 

Chipmunk,  61 

Marten,  176 

Mink,  167 

Muskrat,  104 

or  Lowland  Rabbit,  122 

Otter,  162 

Red  Fox,  145 

Skunk,  163 

Woodchuck,  63 
Sowerby's  Whale,  1 7 
spelaeum,  Osmotherium,  230 
speothen,  Arvicola,  244 

Microtus,  244 
Sperm  Whale,  14 

Pigmy,  15 

Spermophile,  Franklin's,  221 
Spermophilus  franklini,  222 
sphenodon,  Megolonyx,  249 
;  Spotted  Dolphin,  19 
Squalodon  atlanticus,  247 

Biserrate,  247 
Squirrels,  5,  52,  225,  242 
Squirrel,  Carolina  Gray,  52,  242 

Ground,  221 

Northeastern  Fox,  58 

Northern  Gray  or  Black,  5  2 

Pine,  56 

Red,  57 

Striped  or  Ground,  61 

Virginia  Flying,  66 

Western  Fox.  57,  225 
Star-nosed  Mole,  206 
Stenorhynchus  vetus,  233 
stonei,  Synaptomys  cooped,  106 
striatus,  Sciurus,  61 

Tamias,  61,  242 
subflavus,  Pipistrellus,  210,  211 

obscurus,  Pipistrellus,  211 

Vespertilio,  210 
subulatus,  Myotis,  208,  227 

Vespertilio,  208,  227 


INDEX. 


Sus  scrofa,  2 1 7 
Swamp  Mole,  206 
Swine,  217 

Sword  Dolphin,  Harlan's,  247 
"         Ixacanth,  248 
"         Lacertine,  247 
"         Porcate,  248 
"         Urean,  247 
Sycium  cloacinum,  244 
Vole,  Cope's,  244 
sylvaticus  mearnsi,  Lepus,  122 
transitionalis,  Lepus,  121 
Synaptomys,  genus,  106 
cooperi,  106 

"       stonei,  106 

T 

Talpidae,  198,  227 
talpoides,  So  rex,  195 
Tamias  striatus,  61,  242 

"         lysteri,  61 
Tapir,  5,  6,  236 

Hay's  Fossil,  236 

Marsh's  Fossil,  236 
Tapiravus  validus,  236 
Tapiridae,  236 
Tapirus  americanus  fossilis,  236 

haysii,  236 
tarandus,  Cervus,  241 
taurus,  Bos,  217 
Taxidea  americana,  231 

taxus,  231 
Tayassuidae,  238 
Teleopternus  orientalis,  240 
tetradelta,  Arvicola,  244 
tetragonus,  Mylohyus,  238 
Thinohyusantiquus,  238 
Tiger,  N.  Amer.  Sabre-tooth,  231 
&      Mercer's  Sabre-tooth,  232 
Tillodontia,  233 
Tillotheridae,  233 
Timber  Wolf,  148 
Toothed  or  Sperm  Whales,  14 
tortulus,  Megalonyx,  249 
transitionalis,  Lepus  floridanus,  121 
"        sylvaticus,  121 
Tree  Bat,  213 
Trichechidae,  246 
Trichecus  sp.,  246 
virginianus,  233 


Trilophodon  ohioticus,  234 
tursio,  Delphinus,  17 
Tursiops  tursio,  1 7 

u. 

Ungulata,  5,  24,  234] 
Uncia  inexpectata,  232 

mercerii,  232 

Urean  Sword  Dolphin,  247 
uraeus,  Priscodelphinus,  247 

Tretophys,  247 
Urocyon,  genus,  143 

cinereoargenteus,  143,  229 
Ursidse,  183,  228 
Ursus,  genus,  183 

americanus,  183,  228 

haplodon,  228 

lotor,  182 

luscus,  164 

taxus,  231 

V. 

validus,  Lophiodon,  236 

Tapiravus,  236 
velox,  Zarachis,  248 
Vespertilio  borealis,  213 

cinereus,  214 

fuscus,  212,  227 

humeralis,  215 

lucifugus,  207 

noctivagans,  210 

subflavus,  210 

subulatus,  208,  227 
Vespertilionidae,  207,  227 
vetus,  Catodon,  248 

Ogmorhinus,  233 

Physeter,  248 

Platigonus,  239 

Stenorhynchus,  233 
Virginia  Deer,  24,  241 

"       Northern,  26 

Flying  Squirrel,  66 

Harvest  Mouse,  225 
virginianus,  Cariacus,  241 

Cervus,  241 

Lepus,  118 

"     americanus,  118 

Rosmarus,  233 

Trichechus,  233 

Vulpes,  229 


266 


vison,  Mustela,  167 

Putorius,  167 

lutreocephalus,  Putorius,  167 
vitulina,  Phoca,  123 
volans,  Mus,  67 

Sciuropterus,  66,  67 
Vole,  Cope's  Sycium,  244 

Diluvian,  244 

Fossil  Pine,  245 

Great  Anaptogon,  244 

Involute  Fossil,  245 

Lemming,  7 

New  Jersey,  94 

Northern  Pine  Woods,  101 

Pennsylvania  Meadow,  97 

Wilson's  Meadow,  244 

Wood,  7,  92 

"       Capper's,  92 
Vulpes,  genus,  145 

cinereoargentatus,  229 

cinereoargenteus,  229 

fulvus,  145 

latidentatus,  229 

virginianus,  229 

vulpes,  221 

w. 

Walrus,  5,  6,  233 

Fossil  Atlantic,  233 
Wapiti,  241 

Eastern,  29 
Weasel,  4,  7, 156,  229,  231 

Alleghenian  Least,  173 

Bonaparte's,    Lesser    or    Short- 
tailed,  1 68 

Great  Fossil,  231 

New  York  or  Common,  170,  229 
Western  Fox-Squirrel,  57 
Whales,  4,  5,  8,  247 
Whale,  Baleen,  10 

Black  Right,  10 

Bottle-nosed  or  Beaked,  16 

Cuvier's  Beaked,  16 


Whale,  Great  Blue,  13 

Leidy's  Sperm,  248 

Little-piked,  n 

New  England  Humpback,  14 

Pigmy  Sperm,  15 

Pilot,  21 

Pug-Head,  16 

Right,  10 

Slender  Zarachian,  248 

Sowerby's  Cowfish,  17 

Sperm  or  Toothed,  14 

Whalebone,  10,  12 
Whaling,  5 

wheatleyi,  Megalonyx,  249 
Wheatley's  Ground  Sloth,  249 
White-Bellied  Killer,  23 
White  Rabbit,  118 
Wildcats,  4,  141 
Wolf,  5,  143,  223,  228 

Gray  or  Timber,  148,  223,  228 
Wolverine,  2,  6,  164,  229 
Wood  Vole,  Gapper's,  92 

"      New  Jersey,  94 
Woodchuck,  Northeastern,  66 

Southeastern,  63,  243 
Woodland  Caribou,  241 

z. 

Zapus,  genus,  109,  245 

Barton's,  1 1 9 

Eastern  Meadow,  245 

Hudson  Bay,  109 

hudsonius,  109,  245 

"         americanus,  no 

insignis,  113 

Zarachian  Whale,  Slender,  248 
Zarachis  velox,  248 
Zibethicus  Castor,  104 

Fiber,  104,  245 
Ziphiidae.  16 
Ziphius,  genus,  16 

cavirostris,  16 


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